The Matchmaker
by Makoto Sagara
Summary: Finally Complete! When an accident leaves Duo with the ability to read other people's thoughts, will he be able to help out his friends, and himself, with their love life problems?
1. The Brush With Death

**Title:** The Matchmaker

**Author:** Makoto Sagara

**Series:** Gundam Wing

**Archive:** The usual suspects; anywhere else, please ask first.

**Category:** Supernatural, Angst, Romance, Sap

**Pairings:** Eventual 2x5x2, 3x4x3, and 1xRx1

**Rating:** T

**Warnings:** Shonen ai, language, angst, sap, het, supernatural dealings

**Disclaimers: **Yeah, like I own Gundam Wing. (Goes off to cry, but not before turning out pockets) I am poor as well. Flames will be used to amuse my muses. They are easily entertained, but highly obnoxious.

**A/N:** This chapter was actually written by a close friend, but due to her life coming up and biting her on the butt, she gave her homeless plot bunny to me. I know that it has been a very long time since this was even first written, so it will take me some time to get it together and make some sense of it.

**Chapter One: The Brush With Death**

Two men stood in a clearing in the middle of the woods. The moon was shinning brightly, illuminating the open space. One was dressed completely in black leather. Even his long hair was black, as well as the wings sprouting from his back. The other man was wearing white leather, and his white hair was pulled back in a ponytail. His white wings were stretched to their full length

"You know he isn't ready to die yet," the dark-haired man said. "He still has much to do. He must get the ones closest to him together."

The other man nodded. "I know that, but I had to get him close to the spirit world to give him a gift. This gift will aid him on his quest. The only way I could think to get him close to the spirit world was to cause the accident."

"If the Master finds out about this, we're both going to be in some major trouble."

"You think I'm stupid enough not to realize that, Thazerus?"

Thazerus chuckled. "I've known you to do some pretty stupid stuff in your lifetime, Maximus."

Maximus scowled at the dark-haired man. "You've done stupid stuff right along with me. Even some on your own. So don't give me that crap."

"Awww, did I hit a nerve, Maxi?"

"Don't call me that! You know how much I hate that nickname."

Thazerus laughed, and was about to reply when his eyes widened, while Maximus gasped.

"Well, it seems our Master is calling, and by the power which it was sent, it means He's pretty pissed about something," the white-haired man said.

"I hope He didn't find out about our plan to help the boy. That would not be good."

"We better get out of here quick. You know how He hates to be kept waiting."

With that, they both spread their wings and flew out of the clearing. Neither of them noticed the confused boy with long, flowing chestnut-colored hair as he came out from behind his hiding place.

A headache greeted Duo as he woke up, helping him on his way back to consciousness. He opened his eyes and groaned as the moonlight, coming from the window next to his bed, hit his eyes, causing the pain to dance around in his head a little harder.

As Duo glanced around the room, he realized he was in the hospital and that Wufei was sleeping in a chair next to his bed, with his head lying next to Duo's thigh.

'What the fuck is going on? What the hell happened? Why am I here?' Duo thought. As Duo tried to figure out what happened, his hand unconsciously began to play with the hair that had fallen out of Wufei's ponytail. 'The last thing I remember is walking home after volunteering at the local orphanage,' he thought, 'but I don't remember making it home. What's going on here?'

When Duo tried to sit up, a sharp pain shot up his side and his shoulder started to throb. 'Hmmm, a couple of broken and bruised ribs and a dislocated shoulder… Damn, that shit hurts. I must have been done in pretty bad.'

Wufei's head shot up when Duo started to move.

"You're finally awake! How are you feeling? Do you need anything?" he asked.

"Well, I'm feeling like I got run over by a truck," Duo croaked, "and I wouldn't mind a glass of water. My mouth seems to be a little dry."

As Wufei poured him a glass of water, Duo asked him what happened and why he was in the hospital.

"You're in the hospital because you **were** hit by a truck, Maxwell. Don't you remember?"

Duo shook his head. "No, all I remember is walking down the street from the orphanage. So, how long have I been out?"

"A little more then a month."

"A _month_? Holy shit! How hard did I get hit?"

"You almost died, Duo. They had to transport you to Earth so you could get better treatment. I'm going to call the doctor in now that you're awake," Wufei said as he walked out the door.

'Wufei just called me by my first name. He must have been really scared about me,' Duo thought. 'I wonder where the others are. I haven't seen them in awhile. Wonder what they've been up to.'

After the doctor was done checking Duo over and told them that he was healing nicely, Wufei told Duo that he was going to call the other guys and tell them he had woken up.

"Really?" Duo asked.

"Yes, they told me to call them because they're worried about you. We all have been taking turns watching over you, waiting for you to wake up."

Duo grinned. "I wondered where the others were."

"It is 3:00 am, Duo. Trowa was the last one to watch you. He just went back to the hotel two hours ago."

"Well, you don't have to call them. It is really late, and I don't want to bother them."

"They said no matter what time it was, they wanted to be woken up. So, I'll go call them now."

"Okay, I'll try to be here when you get back. 'Cause you know me; I hate hospitals," Duo joked.

"You'd better be. Because you know me; I hate it when you do shit like that."

"Oh, like **I** would do something like that." Duo tried to look innocent.

Wufei laughed. "Your horns are sticking out, Maxwell."

"What!" Acting shocked, Duo smiled. "Where? Damn, I knew I should have gotten a smaller size."

Laughing, Wufei left the room, saying, "I'll be back."

Wufei went to the phone, and called the hotel room that Trowa and Quatre were staying in.

Winner picked up, blinking sleepily at the screen, before he realized who it was calling, and instantly became more alert.

"Wufei? What is it? Did Duo wake up? Did something happen? Is he okay?" Winner kept shooting questions off before Wufei interrupted him.

"He's fine. The doctor checked him over and said his ribs were healing fine and his shoulder was almost completely healed. He's pretty awake and focused. There doesn't seem to be any permanent damage done from the blow to his head."

"We'll be right over there. And we'll go wake Heero, so don't worry about calling him."

"Okay. Thank you, Winner. I can't promise he'll be awake by the time you get here," Wufei commented.

"That's okay. As long as we know that he's awake now. I was starting to get a little worried about him."

"Okay. I'll see you when you get here."

"See you."

Wufei hung up and walked back to Duo's hospital room. When he got there, he noticed Duo wasn't in his bed.

"Maxwell? Where the hell are you?"

"Right here," Duo said as he walked out of the bathroom.

"Damn it, Duo. You need to stay in bed. You're not healed enough to be walking around without any help." Wufei's face scrunched up into a scowl.

"Well, excuse me if nature called while you were away. Oh, and by the way, she wanted me to ask you for her stick back."

"What stick?"

"The one that seems to be stuck up your ass, Wu-Bear," Duo joked.

"Shut up, and get your ass back in that bed, before I beat you with it."

Duo mock gasped and grabbed his chest. "Did you just make a joke? I must be hallucinating. Maybe I'm actually dead, and this is either Heaven or Hell... I can't tell which."

Wufei smiled as he helped Duo climb back into bed. "Quit using up all your energy. I'm sure Winner wants you to still be awake when they get here."

Quatre, Trowa, and Heero walked in right after Wufei was finished speaking.

"Well, speak of the devil... or angel… I'm not sure exactly which one Quatre is either," Duo said.

Quatre walked up to the side of Duo's bed, while Trowa and Heero leaned up against the wall next to the door, 'Allah, Duo looks like crap,' Quatre thought, but he said, "You look great, Duo."

"Don't lie to me, Q-Bean. I heard you just say that I looked like crap. I'm not deaf you know. Just injured."

"I never said you looked like crap." Quatre looked worried.

"Yes, you did," Duo insisted. "I heard you. Didn't he say that, you guys?"

"He didn't say anything, Duo," Heero said. "I would have heard him."

Duo looked confused. "But I'm sure I heard him say that. It was loud, too. How couldn't you hear it?"

'He must be hearing things. Maybe that accident caused more damage than we had originally thought,' Wufei mused to himself.

"I'm not hearing things, and I'm not crazy or mentally deranged!" Duo yelled.

TBC


	2. Okay, What the Hell Happened To Me?

**Title:** The Matchmaker

**Author:** Makoto Sagara

**Series:** Gundam Wing

**Archive:** The usual suspects; anywhere else, please ask first.

**Category:** Supernatural, Angst, Romance, Sap

**Pairings:** Eventual 2x5x2, 3x4x3, and 1xRx1

**Rating:** T

**Warnings:** Shonen ai, language, angst, sap, het, supernatural dealings

**Disclaimers: **Yeah, like I own Gundam Wing. (Goes off to cry, but not before turning out pockets) I am poor as well. Flames will be used to amuse my muses. They are easily entertained, but highly obnoxious.

**A/N:** After nearly two years of having custody of this wonderful plot bunny, my muses finally decided to bite. It might just be the fact that they've recently awaken from a hiatus, or it could be the fact that I finally finished A Child's Love. I'm not sure which one it is, but I'm glad nonetheless.

**Chapter Two: Okay, What the Hell Happened to Me?**

The four other ex-pilots exchanged worried glances as Duo glared at them, his face a mixture of righteous indigence and utter bewilderment. Silently communicating with one another, they moved to the other end of the room to speak amongst themselves.

"What is his problem? No one has said any of the things he's claiming," Heero said, shooting small looks at his best friend without turning his head. His training as a Gundam pilot, and current Preventer/body guard, was kicking in and he was starting to feel tense after the brief period of relief at Duo's awakening.

"Well, I didn't say that he looked like crap. I just thought it," Quatre admitted, his voice low.

"I'll admit that I thought to myself that he might be hearing things," Wufei added.

They were all quietly lost in their thoughts, trying to figure out what to do.

'Maybe Relena will know someone we can have him talk to about his accident,' Heero thought.

'I just thought that he looked bad, but he still heard me…'

'Perhaps the accident did something to one of the parts of his brain that humans don't use,' Trowa mused, a slight smile gracing his features. 'Well, I suppose that this means that Quatre is no longer the only one of us five with an extra-sensory condition.'

'No matter what has happened, once he is well enough to leave this hospital, he is moving back with me,' Wufei thought stubbornly.

Duo could hear their thoughts as loudly as if they'd shouted directly into his ear. 'Heero thinks I'm crazy. Quatre's just focusing on what he thought. Trowa thinks I'm some sort of psychic. And Wufei, he doesn't care…' Suddenly, a light bulb clicked on in the back of Duo's abused head. 'I… I can hear their thoughts! Oh my god, what happened to me after that truck hit me!'

"Alright, I think Mr. Maxwell's had enough excitement tonight," the nurse said as she popped through the private room's door. "You may return in the afternoon," she glared at the four men at the other end of the room, "during normal visiting hours."

"I'll be okay alone, guys," Duo said, trying to sound cheerful. "Just bring me lots of books and stuff to do when you come back."

'You don't have to force yourself for us, Duo,' Wufei thought sadly. "We will return when we can." He walked over to the American and grabbed his hand. "It is nice to see you awake finally." A slight smile twitched the corners of the Chinese man's mouth. 'I was started to get really worried that you'd never wake up.'

The Arab and Japanese men joined Wufei and Quatre took his other free hand. "Yes, it is great that you're back here with us. We'll be back later with something for you to entertain yourself with." The blond's smile dropped a bit. 'Just don't do anything rash, Duo.'

Heero stood there uncomfortably, a pensive look taking over his strong features. 'Right now, he'd be trying to hug me. I don't know if that's acceptable in this situation though….'

Duo sighed as he heard what he recognized as his friends' thoughts. "Don't worry about me, guys. I'll stay in the hospital and I promise not to torture the staff here too much. I don't really have much else to do right now, so see you in the afternoon." The four nodded as one and left the room.

"Is there anything I can get for you, Mr. Maxwell?" the nurse, Cindy was the name on her tag, asked. She came over and fluffed his pillows and took his vital signs quickly.

"No, I'm just going to go back to sleep. I'm kinda tired." As soon as the door clicked shut, Duo was asleep.

----------------------------------

"Are you sure that he's ready to do what the Master entrusted him to do?" Maximus asked his white-clad counterpart.

"You ask as if he had a choice," Thazerus countered.

"I know he has no choice, but humans are so unpredictable. He may try something violent. Or one of the others may decide that he is mentally unstable and try to commit him."

"The Master trusts that he can do this. So, our only choice is to sit back and watch."

A little boy with long chestnut hair flowing around him stepped out from behind his rock. "Who are you two!"

The winged beings turned to face the boy and laughed. "Well, if it isn't the human himself?" Maximus asked, still laughing.

"My name is Duo, not the human!"

"Is your name really Duo, human? Do you know what your real name is?" Thazerus asked, his white wings shrugging up and down, stirring up a slight wind.

Duo refrained from answering.

"I'll take that as a no. Poor human doesn't even know his own name, Thaz…"

"That is no reason to tease him, Maxi. The Master wouldn't approve."

The black clad being pulled his wings in behind him and moved until he was kneeling in front of the boy. "You will do as you are supposed to, human."

"And just what am I supposed to be doing!" Duo crossed his arms against his chest stubbornly.

"You'll find out, human," Thazerus said, stirring his wings again. "I believe it's time for us to leave now, Maxi."

"I agree." With that, they both took off, leaving the boy in the clearing, a bewildered look on his face.

----------------------------------

"What do you want from me!" Duo yelled, bolting straight up from his bed and wincing in pain. "Ow, note to self, don't do that again."

"You really shouldn't be moving much, Maxwell. The doctor said it was best not to jar anything until it's completely healed," Wufei said, closing the door behind him as he entered.

"Fei, where is everybody else?" A grin flashed across the injured American's face before he grimaced in pain while trying to sit back comfortably.

"Relena Peacecraft arrived a few hours ago. Quatre, Heero and Trowa are talking to her right now. She is anxious to see you conscious again, but they sent me ahead to let you know that you haven't been abandoned." Wufei gave his friend a small smile as he sat down in the chair next to the other's bed, putting a rather large shopping bag on the floor next to him. 'Not that I had to be sent. I would have come anyway.'

"Thanks, 'Fei. Means a lot to me." Duo looked down at the bag near the Chinese man's feet and smiled again. "Whatcha bring me?"

"These are books from Winner and me for you. To keep you from trying to run away from the hospital before your release." He hefted up the bag onto the bed, careful to avoid any body parts that may have gotten squished.

"Kinda heavy."

"Yes, well, Winner believed that he should get you a variety so you wouldn't be bored and terrorize the hospital staff."

"Good ol' Q, he's always thinking ahead." He started scrounging around the bag, looking at the different books. There were books on history, politics, modern fiction, a few romance novels, and even some comic books. "What? No books on foreign languages?"

"That is for next time," Wufei said calmly.

"Ah, so, um, 'Fei, has anyone talked to the doctor yet?"

"No, not as of yet, and seeing as how you're awake and fully capable of speaking for yourself, no one has a right to speak to him before you."

"So, my doctor's a guy, huh?" Duo sighed. "So much for seducing my doctor to get released early."

Wufei scowled, a pang of jealousy hitting him. 'You would, wouldn't you?'

"Huh? What did you say?"

"I didn't say anything." Wufei stood up and looked at his friend closely. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine…" Duo blinked, wondering why he was feeling nervous around the man that he'd known for years and become good friends with after both wars. In fact, he was feeling so nervous that he could feel the heat rise to his cheeks, a detail that was not lost on Wufei.

"Are you ill? Do you have a fever?" Wufei was placing a hand against Duo's forehead, which increased the American's discomfort and, in turn, made him blush more. "You're flushed! Maybe I should call a nurse for you."

"No, 'Fei, I'm okay…" Duo croaked, yanking his head away from the warm and calloused hand that was touching him so intimately. "I… I just need a few moments, and I'll be right as rain." He swallowed and could feel his nervousness abate a bit. "So, when are the others coming?"

'I'm not so sure that I'm convinced that he is telling me the truth. But, Duo doesn't lie. But, he may be omitting something, which is close to lying. Why?' Wufei shook his head. "They should be here soon, with Relena as well."

"Hello, honey, we're here!" A familiar female voice was drifting in through the door, and soon the woman herself was joining them, the other pilots in tow. "Oh, Duo, I was so worried! But, it was wonderful to get a call from Heero telling me you were awake and coherent!"

"So, Lena, how do I look?" Duo asked with a smile.

'Like shit, but you'll live.' The woman's brilliant smile dimmed a bit. "You've looked better, Duo, but I think you'll be better once you're back on your feet!"

'Finally! Someone who's honest! I knew that I liked Relena for a reason!'

"So, Mr. Maxwell, what do you say we hunt down your doctor and torture some answers out of him?"

"Relena, I think I love you," Duo retorted.

'WHAT!' Heero's mind screamed.

TBC…


	3. So, I See

Title: The Matchmaker

**Title:** The Matchmaker

**Author:** Makoto Sagara

**Series:** Gundam Wing

**Archive:** The usual suspects; anywhere else, please ask first.

**Category:** Supernatural, Angst, Romance, Sap

**Pairings:** Eventual 2x5x2, 3x4x3, and 1xRx1

**Rating:** T

**Warnings:** Shonen ai, language, angst, sap, het, supernatural dealings

**Disclaimers: **Yeah, like I own Gundam Wing. (Goes off to cry, but not before turning out pockets) I am poor as well. Flames will be used to amuse my muses. They are easily entertained, but highly obnoxious.

**A/N: **I don't remember how long it's been since I updated this thing. However, after being without the internet for about a month, my muses found their way back to me and made me work on chapter after chapter of fics. Since this one is something that is easy and fun to write, Neko tied me down to my chair and whipped me until I started typing things. Hence, you get an update. Review, okay?

**Chapter Three: So, I See…**

Everyone in the room seemed to be in shock from Duo's comment, and their thoughts were racing around in their heads, but not fast enough to be lost by the American. Much to his chagrin, it was Heero's angry, and undoubtedly jealous, thoughts that hurt the most.

"Relax. God, is what I said that horrible?" He was trying to sound jokingly, but wasn't so sure that he was pulling it off well.

Luckily, it was Relena who recovered the quickest out of the others. "Well, Mr. Maxwell, I must say that I'm flattered, but you are not my type."

"As graceful as ever," Duo responded. "And how good for me you aren't my type either." He shot a look at his best friend, and smiled when he saw all the tension seem to drain out of the Japanese man's trigger finger.

'I would have really noticed something if there were any real feelings between Duo and Relena,' Quatre thought to himself in relief. 'There's no way I would have missed that.'

'Aw, it seems I've missed something rather interesting.' Trowa's passive face didn't match the disappointment he felt. 'Oh well. Heero's reaction was enough for a while.'

'Now I won't have to kill him,' was Heero's only thought.

'Now I won't have to eliminate the woman,' was Wufei's thought, and that was the most perplexing one for Duo.

"I will find the doctor," Wufei said stiffly, trying desperately to not let his jealousy that the girl was so familiar with the American pilot.

"Um, I think I'll go get some water," Quatre said, inching out of the door and pulling Trowa with him. "Did you see the way that Heero looked?"

"I was sure that he would fulfill that threat he made to Duo years ago," Trowa said stoically.

"Be glad you couldn't feel the sudden anger," the blond said.

"I didn't have to. It was written in his eyes."

"True."

"So was Wufei's anger."

"Ah, so that was the other source. I was too busy watching Heero's hand look for the gun that wasn't there to recognize Wufei's anger."

"And you call yourself a psychic," Trowa joked.

"I do no such thing." Quatre looked through the glass to see Duo's head back on the pillows, eyes closed, and Relena and Heero standing close to one another, visibly whispering.

Wufei stopped alongside the Nurses' Station with Duo's physician and spotted the Arab and European standing outside the room. 'When are those two going to just admit that they are comfortable with one another and commit?' On silent feet, he walked behind them and noticed the scene in the room. 'There is another couple that should just admit how they feel.' It was then that his eyes grazed what appeared to be Duo's sleeping form, and he scowled. 'I suppose that I have no room to talk.'

"Well, I do hope that Mr. Maxwell is awake, finally," a voice said behind the Chinese man, forcing Wufei to control the conditioning of the war. His first reaction had been to turn around and break the doctor's neck.

"He is. The woman has probably said something that has given him a headache."

"His wife?" Then, the doctor took a second look. "Isn't that…"

"Relena Dorlian-Peacecraft, yes, it is," Trowa added. They were all getting used to answering that question.

The doctor audibly cleared his throat. "Well, let's go see the patient." He entered the room with a large smile across his face. "Good morning, Mr. Maxwell. I heard that you'd finally woken up."

Duo cracked one amethyst eye to cast a dubious look at the intruder. "Yeah, with one hell of a headache too. But Cindy, or whatever, wouldn't give me shit for it." 'Dr. Murdock, eh? He sounds like an idiot.' The American didn't even bat an eye when the man came over and began shining lights in eyes, asking stupid questions, and feeling his head, ribs and shoulder.

"It looks like you're healing quite nicely. You're a lucky man, Mr. Maxwell."

"Just call me Duo. I don't want to be Mr. Anything."

"Well, Duo, your head injury was rather severe. You suffered three separate sub-dermal hemotomas. We were a little worried after the second operation, but you seem to be doing fine now." Murdock checked the chart in his hands before looking back at his patient. "Do you remember anything before waking up last night?"

"I was at the orphanage around the corner from my house on L2," Duo started, ignoring Wufei and Quatre's annoyingly mother hen thoughts about his mental health. "It was about a week before Christmas and I'd just dropped off a bunch of presents for a party. I was still in the Santa suit…" He closed his eyes, pushing himself to remember more. "That's it, until I woke up here with my night watch."

'Night watch?' Wufei thought wryly, a delicate eyebrow arching slightly.

The doctor looked at the other occupants of the room and tried not to squirm under their scrutiny. "Yes, well, it was rather difficult to get them to leave you here alone. Mr. Winner is paying for everything, and he and Mr. Yuy can be… quite convincing." That got Duo laughing so hard that tears started streaming down his face. He only stopped when it jarred his ribs.

"Convincing, you say?" He took a pause for breath and some hissing of air through his teeth. "That's one word for it."

The doctor had the good graces to look extremely offended at Duo's behaviour. "I want to run some tests in the next few days and see how you're doing. Then, we can talk about release."

"You must be a mind-reader," Duo said, calming down at the mention of being able to leave.

"Not really. I just imagine that you're anxious to go back to your life," Dr. Murdock said, glancing at his watch. "Well, I will leave you to your company. Try to get some more rest, Duo."

"Like I want to lie here any longer," Duo said sourly when the doctor was gone. "So, Lena, what's going on in the world of politics?"

Relena left Heero's side and sat down next to the bed-stricken man. "You really don't want to hear about that after being in a coma for a month, do you?"

"Actually, I think Duo could use some rest," Wufei said sternly, glaring daggers at the woman. 'Get away from him, Peacecraft.'

"Hm, that sounds like a good idea," Quatre said, pushing Trowa and pulling Heero out of the room. "Call us if you need anything, Duo. The number to the hotel is next to the phone. Come along, Relena."

The girl pushed loose strands of chestnut hair out of Duo's eyes and gave him a chaste kiss on his check. "Get some sleep, Duo. We'll talk later, alright?"

"'Kay," he said around a yawn, suddenly aware of how drained he felt. "Stay, 'Fei?"

"Of course," Wufei said, sitting down next to the other man. 'For as long as you wish.'

"For forever," Duo muttered before falling asleep.

--

"So, human, are you ready to find out what your purpose is?" Thazerus said, flexing his white wings and messing up his hair.

"I don't think he is, Thaz," Maximus, the black angel, said.

"Oh, but, Maxi, he's so pathetic like this. It's painful to watch him."

"True, but I would be more worried about the Master's reaction than the human's."

"Who are you two?" Duo yelled, making the angels take a curious look at him. "What do you want? Who the hell is this Master you keep talking about?"

"Oh, he's finally started to join the conversation, Thaz."

"Great. I was beginning to become bored with him. My name is Thazerus, human, and this is my companion, Maximus." The white haired angel came and walked around Duo a few times, looking him over like a piece of meat. "We want you to entertain us."

The black haired angel came to stand in front of Duo, his black eyes boring holes into the boy's body. "That is only half-true. Humans do, in fact, entertain us, but that isn't your only purpose right now."

"Are you trying to intimidate me?" Duo asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Far from it, little human," the white one said. "We are sizing you up for your mission."

"What mission?"

"You've noticed something interesting lately, have you not?" the black asked.

"Yeah… I can hear other people's thoughts. Like the doctor thinking about a tee time when he was supposed to be talking to me about what happened. Or Quatre thinking that I look like crap."

"Exactly, but do you know what caused this?"

"No…"

"Think harder, human."

"My name is Duo!"

"Is it? Really? Are you sure that that is your real name?" The white angel gave a cold smile.

"Now, now, Thaz, behave," Maximus chided. "Duo, your new gift is from our Master. It is to his amusement that you have received it."

"Cut the bullshit!" The two angels just laugh at his anger.

"You'll understand," Thazerus said. "Sooner or later, you'll get it. You may be a human, but you're smarter than you act." His smile dropped quickly and he looked at the other angel. "It seems as if we've overstayed our welcome, Maxi."

"You're right, Thaz. We'll meet again, Duo. Count on it." And then, the two were gone and it was quiet.

--

Duo woke up, drenched in his own sweat and breathing fast, and quickly took in his surroundings. Wufei was at his side, his black hair falling out of the ponytail that it was normally kept in as he slept. The hospital room was dark, and there was no light from the windows. Carefully, he slowed his breathing down to normal levels and climbed out of the high hospital bed.

'You're okay, Duo. Just a little whoosey from the bump on your head,' he tried to reassure himself. 'And having fucked up dreams about angels messing with your life is just another side affect from the truck using you as a stopping block.' He used his hands to brace his body against the wall as he made his way to the bathroom. 'I need to remember to ask Quatre what happened to that truck that hit me anyway.' After taking just about the longest piss in his life, Duo inched his way back to the bed. 'There's no way that my legs and back hurt so much if most of the trauma from the accident was to my head and shoulders… Unless it's from lying in a bed for over a month.'

The former Gundam pilot carefully swung his legs back up on the bed, trying his best to avoid hitting his friend in the head as he slept. 'Hm, guess I'll talk to the doctor about that tomorrow,' he thought sleepily. His eyes started to droop and he was nearly asleep when something popped into his head.

'Stop moving so much, Duo…'

"'Fei?" he whispered, wide awake again. A grunt was his only response. 'I must be imagining things again. Gotta get more sleep.'

'Love…'

"What the fuck?!"


	4. The Word for the Day Is Meddlesome

Title: The Matchmaker  
Author: Makoto Sagara  
Series: Gundam Wing  
Archive: The usual suspects; anywhere else, please ask first.  
Category: Supernatural, Angst, Romance, Sap

Pairings: Eventual 2x5x2, 3x4x3, and 1xRx1  
Rating: T  
Warnings: Shonen ai, language, angst, sap, het, supernatural dealings  
Disclaimers: Yeah, like I own Gundam Wing. (Goes off to cry, but not before turning out pockets) I am poor as well. Flames will be used to amuse my muses. They are easily entertained, but highly obnoxious.

A/N: Yeah, my updates suck. My timing for them is even worse. Can't help that, though. I am a victim of real life. I have to deal with that and four fickle muses. Hence, you get an update. Review, okay?

Chapter Four: The Word for the Day Is Meddlesome

Duo blinked at the Asian man slowly woke up after his outburst, avoiding eye contact as the images in Wufei's head flashed through his own. After a few moments of awkward silence between them, it donned on the American that from what he'd gathered from everyone else's thoughts, Wufei had been with him nearly every day since his accident. He knew the other four were supposed to visit during normal hours, but Wufei almost never left. With a mischievous grin, he decided that today would be the day to pump Relena for information and to corner her about why she and Heero weren't married with five children yet.

Sadly, as the patients in the rooms nearest to his started to wake up, so did their thoughts. And that was when realized that his new gift wasn't limited to just his friends and those in the immediate vicinity. The thoughts began to crash into one another inside his head, making Duo wince in pain at every little sound. This odd behavior wasn't lost on the hawk-eyed ex-pilot of Shenlong, but neither mentioned it. So, it was with a strange mixture of relief and annoyance that Duo greeted Relena and the other pilots.

'Looking better, Duo,' Trowa's distinctive voice sounded through the American's mind. Duo looked over to find the banged pilot giving him a private smile.

"Thanks," he replied, ignoring the strange looks from Wufei and Heero. "So, Q, you left me this Chinese guardian…"

"I am not s-." Duo's hand on Wufei's left leg cut off the rest of what he was going to say.

"It needs a shower and a decent meal and to sleep in a real bed. Take it away, please."

- WHAT? I SPEND ALL THIS TIME TAKING CARE OF HIM AND THIS IS WHAT I GET?' Wufei's face remained stony, despite the murderous look in his eyes and the angry thoughts flashing through his mind. The others took minor glances at Wufei and took three steps back, waiting for the fireworks. When none came, Relena moved to the other side of Duo's bed and gave the men her most charming smile.

"Heero, Quatre, would you be dears and take Mr. Change out for a little bit? I need to speak to Duo alone," she said sweetly. 'Before Wufei kills him,' she mentally added. The two men shared a look before moving back to avoid being trampled by their very upset comrade and followed him out. Trowa gave them a very knowing smile before joining the other pilots.

"You obviously have a death wish, Mr. Maxwell," she said when they were alone. "Otherwise, you wouldn't have dismissed Wufei the way you just did."

"Sister, everyone I call comrade has threatened or attempted to kill me in the last few years. Kinda immune to it now."

"Well, it's no wonder if that is how you treat the person who told Une that if she didn't let him come to L2 to take care of you, he'd send her to Treize in the afterlife personally."

"He did that?" Duo asked incredulously. The girl nodded and primly sat on the bed next to him. "I… never…"

"I know. However, I get the feeling that you wanted to talk to me about something else." The slight nod she received made her sigh heavily. Luckily, Doctor Golf (as Duo referred to him now) showed up and all personal conversation ceased.

"Good morning, Mr. Maxwell," the man said, looking up from his clipboard. "What a surprise. Misters Chang and Winner are not here?" He did a double take when he noticed Relena. "Your Majesty."

'I never want to hear that title again so long as I live,' the girl thought all the while keeping a sweet smile on her face. "Doctor, my friend here is very antsy. I believe he would enjoy some fresh air."

'Thanks, 'Lena,' Duo thought and was rewarded with a startled jump from the most powerful politician in the world.

"Of course, Your Majesty," the doctor replied, all thoughts of his upcoming golf game flying from his mind. He gave the American a very thorough examination, thinking about how he'd tell his wife about meeting the former Queen of the World. After twenty minutes of very embarrassing poking and prodding, the doctor moved away from his patient. "You seem to be healing just fine, Mr. Maxwell. I'm going to clear you for supervised walks on hospital grounds, but you will be in a wheelchair for a few days." He began scribbling some notes on his clipboard. "I'll let the nurses know. They'll be relieved as well."

"Hey, Doc, what about these migraines I've been having," Duo threw out offhandedly.

"Ah, yes, we have you scheduled for some scans tomorrow morning. In the meantime, I suggest you enjoy your time outside. It's a beautiful day outside."

Shaking her head, Relena moved toward the door. She waited for the doctor to leave before she turned around. "I'll find you something more acceptable to wear outside."

The only reply she got was a very red blush from the usually brash American pilot.

In fact, Duo was very quiet until they got outside and were in a shady corner all alone. "So, Miss Peacecraft, how is the old love life going?"

"Maybe I should be asking you that question, Mr. Maxwell? Since you seem to have Wufei jumping through hoops to take care of you when you go and get yourself all banged up," Relena retorted hotly before her face fell. "To be honest, Duo, there isn't one." He watched in horror as tears started falling down her face and reached out to take her hand, but she pushed it away. "I'm too busy to have one, and even if I weren't, who the hell do I date? Politicians? Get real."

"So, even you don't like them?"

Duo sighed heavily as he watched the pretty woman leave him, already talking faster than even he accomplished on her cellphone. She was smart, pretty, rich, powerful, and, since the end of the wars, very mature. After talking to her for three hours outside, he realized that he wanted nothing more than to make her happier and that there was something he could do to help her along. Now, if only Heero could be reasonable….

~ Back at the hotel ~

"Wufei, you'll be sharing a room with Trowa," Quatre said blithely, acting as if he couldn't notice the animosity rolling off the Chinese man in veritable waves as they entered the president's suite. "Why don't you have a decent meal, shower and take a nap? You'll feel like a new man and then we can discuss what we want to do from here."

"Hn," he muttered angrily as he walked into the bedroom that the blond man had pointed out to him. 'Why did I have to leave? What does he think I am?' He sighed as he stripped off his clothes, dumped them on the bed that wasn't already taken, and walked into the bathroom to take a real shower for the first time in weeks.

He let the hot water pound down on his head as he began to think about everything that had happened since hearing about Duo's accident. It had been right before Christmas, during the busiest time for the Preventers, that the call had come. The nurses from the poorly run Catholic hospital had called him because he evidently was Duo's emergency contact. That had struck him as strange. Wufei really had thought that Duo would have listed Heero or Quatre, someone he was closer to, before himself, but a part of him was really flattered. Then, he'd heard what happened to the American and it was all he could do to make Une see that she would either give him emergency leave, or he'd make her.

Reluctantly, the head of the Preventers caved in and told him to keep her updated on Duo's status. He'd taken the first shuttle out of London - the city nearest to the office he was currently stationed - to L2, and prayed to every god, spirit, ancestor, and fae he could think of that his friend wouldn't die.

Wufei hadn't even bothered checking into a hotel once he reached the colony. He'd gone straight to the hospital and tried to find a doctor to tell him what was going on. The old doctor spoke in vague terms about the ex-pilot's condition, telling Wufei that they were doing all that they could for his friend, but that at that time it was in God's hands if he'd live through the night. Numbly, Wufei asked if there was a chance that he could have Duo moved to a facility on Earth or L1 once he was stabilized. He wasn't surprised when he was told that his friend couldn't be moved from the colony, but that there was another hospital on the colony that was better equipped to deal with 'Mr. Maxwell's condition' and that the doctor would be more than happy to arrange a transfer once Duo stopped bleeding.

"Can I see him?" he'd asked. His mouth felt like ashes as he looked at the taller man for any sign that things were worse than he was letting on. "I'm afraid not," was the reply he received. "He's still too unstable and we have a full team trying to get things in order." With that, the doctor excused himself and disappeared back into the trauma unit. Wufei'd sunk into one of the hard, uncomfortable waiting room chairs and began making calls to the other pilots to let them know. Quatre had said something about telling Relena, but Wufei hadn't felt the Peacecraft woman was important enough in his mind at that point to be bothered with. "Do what you think is right," he'd told the blond man before hanging up.

Hours later, the doctor reappeared and told him that they'd stopped the bleeding and that the American pilot would be okay to move to the other hospital in a few days. Again, Wufei asked to see his friend and was denied. "Mr. Chang, Mr. Maxwell is in a coma. The vehicle that struck him was rather large and didn't decelerate after the impact. The police are currently searching for the driver, but this is the fifth accident of this nature in the last five months on the colony." The doctor placed a hand on Wufei's arm, and it took everything in the Chinese man's power not to strike out and beat the infuriating man to a bloody pulp. "If he's still stable in the morning, I can let you see him. My suggestion is to get some sleep and come back then."

But, he hadn't left the hospital. He camped out in the waiting room, attempting to read and failing miserably. His mind kept roving back to what the doctor told him about it being the fifth incident on the colony. He'd called Noin and Zechs, who were both members of the Preventers on the Mars base, and asked them if they'd heard anything like this on any of the other colonies or bases. They said they'd look into it and call him back. Gods, that had been eight weeks ago…

Hm, that was something he'd forgotten to check back in with, and he had to update Une about the current situation here as well. He filed those away as things to do before he slept.

His mind floated back to the first time he'd seen Duo after reaching this ancestors' blasted colony. His beautiful hair was pulled completely away from his face, and his forehead was wrapped tightly with bandages, which were stained in several places red. There were few spots on his face that weren't a shade of black, purple, or covered with bandages. The sheets to the bed were pulled to his armpits, and Wufei could see that his right arm was in a small cast around the middle of his ulna and radius bones. He knew there were extensive bandages covering his ribcage, left clavicle, and another cast on his left leg. The doctor had also informed him that a few disks in his back had been slipped, but that all things considered he was lucky that he'd be able to walk again.

He'd stayed that night in the only chair next to the sleeping pilot's bed, gingerly holding the purple-splotched hand that sadly matched what Wufei could remember of the chestnut-haired boy's eyes. The next morning he'd been joined by the other pilots, all looking way more refreshed than he thought they had the right to do. It had taken exactly twenty minutes to relay all the details to his friends, after which he spent twenty more minutes answering questions. Before Quatre could start mother-henning him, Duo's doctor appeared and told them that Duo was stabilized enough to be transferred to another facility at any time.

After the fiasco of the transfer, in which the EMTs nearly dropped the stretcher Duo was on, Wufei had stated simply that he was staying with Duo and there was nothing the other pilots could say to change his mind. To his surprise, no one said a word about making him go anywhere away from Duo. They came and relieved him so that he could get food from the cafeteria, or to take a shower in the private room's bathroom, or to take a walk in the park next to the hospital, but never once did they tell him to take the night off or to just leave.

In fact, this was the first time he'd been away from the American pilot since he'd reached L2. It felt like a rock had settled in his stomach and he could feel the anger bubbling up in him. Futilely, he struck the wall with his fist and bit back on hot tears and bile. Rationally, he had to behave rationally. He couldn't be emotional. Being an emotional wreck would get him absolutely nowhere at that moment. Besides, his body ached to sleep in a real bed after a meal that didn't come in plastic wrapping or from a giant stainless steel pan.

Slowly, he turned off the tap to the shower, and walked back into the room to dress. Sadly, he realized that all of his clothes needed to be washed and wondered if there were laundry facilities at this rather nice hotel that he could use. He went through his bag and found clothes that were buried at the bottom and pulled them out. They were clean, oddly enough, and then he recognized them. The outfit of black silk pants and matching shirt and tank top were from Duo last year for Christmas. He'd never worn them, and he couldn't remember packing them. 'What the hell,' he thought as he slide the stiff silk clothes on before turning to the mirror to comb his hair into his usual ponytail.

A knock on the door stopped him from really examining his unfamiliar familiar features in the mirror before him. "Wufei, we're going down for dinner, if you'd like to join us," Trowa called as he entered.

"That would be acceptable," he replied. "Do you know where I can find laundry facilities in this place?"

"Call room service. They'll take care of it and just charge it to Quatre," the European pilot said with a trace of humor.

"Hm, I suppose that he can spare the cash, no…" Wufei's mouth quirked up into a smile before returning to a scowl. "Do you think that he really wants me to leave him alone?"

"Duo? I doubt it, Wufei. He probably just wanted to speak to Relena alone. Besides, do you know what you looked like before? It's just as well that you spend a night away from the hospital so that you can actually rest." Trowa's one visible green eye searched Wufei's face thoroughly before he moved away with a satisfied smile. "You can go back in the morning and yell at him for whatever you want then. Quatre will worry if we tarry too long."

"Gods, who even says the word 'tarry' anymore?"

"I do, when I feel like it." They left the room and heard the phone ring throughout the suite. Wufei picked up the nearest receiver. "Yes?"

"'Fei-bear!" Duo's voice sounded like he was forcing himself to be chipper and the Chinese pilot couldn't help but wonder what had happened between him and Relena Peacecraft. "Can I talk to Heero, please?"

"I believe that you are quite capable of speaking to whomever you wish, Duo."

"Alright, let me rephrase that then, Mr. Grammar Nazi. May I speak to Heero?" Wufei couldn't help but smile at their old banter.

"Of course, Maxwell." He held the phone out to Heero, who was looking at him with one eyebrow quirked. "He's requesting to speak to you."

"Duo," Heero said tersely. His shoulders, even through his jacket, looked tense and ready for battle. "I can." Wufei could hear Duo say a few other things. "Understood. I'll see you in the morning then."

Heero hung up the phone and looked at the rest of the room's occupants. "He told me to say that he wants to talk to Quatre in the afternoon and me in the morning. Oh, and he says for us to enjoy our dinner."

Wufei felt his left eye twitch and hissed through his teeth. "Whatever," he replied as he exited the room, the others following him reluctantly.

Duo grimaced as he tried to get comfortable in the hospital bed and gave up. There was just no way he was going to be able to feel like a human being again until he was out of this Gods-forsaken place and in a large tub of bubbles and hot water, preferably with a certain hot Chinese man attending him. 'Whoa! Damn boy, better control those thoughts!'

'But he sounded so much better over the phone,' he thought placidly. 'I wonder if he was able to get a real shower…' That thought, unfortunately, took his brain to places that involved him and Wufei in the shower together and then other fun scenarios. "Hm, Fei and water lead to trouble…."

"Oh, Mr. Maxwell, you're alone," an orderly said as he rolled in a cart with Duo's dinner in the room. "Where is Mr. Chang?"

"Out with our friends," Duo said sadly, hoping that he wasn't blushing. "I wish I was with them and not in this bed."

"I understand that perfectly. When I had my leg shattered in a football accident, being in the hospital was the worst part. I could even deal with the pain. But the boredom!" While the man talked happily, he set up Duo's meal on the roll-away tray.

"Hey, um… Sorry, I don't know your name…"

"Markus, Markus Jones," the orderly said, sticking out a hand for Duo to shake.

"Hey, Markus, I got a question. How long has Wufei been here since I arrived?"

"Dude, you think he's left?" The orderly smiled. "Mr. Chang took up permanent residence in your room from the second you got here and would only leave if Mr. Winner, Mr. Barton, or Mr. Yuy were here to let him go eat or shower or take a walk."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I heard the nursing staff is jealous of how cute your boyfriend is. Those that aren't trying to figure out a way to talk to your other friends, I mean." Duo's lips quirked into a sad smile and his mind began to process what the orderly had told him while he picked at his tray. "Well, I'll be back later to get your plate. Enjoy your dinner, Mr. Maxwell."

"Thanks, Markus," he said absently. "Wufei was here every day… Why does that surprise me? Didn't Q and Lena tell me that already? But… That implies something I just don't want to think about now." He choked down the entire meal and turned on the room's television before passing out for the night.

The flowers were AMAZING. They were bright red, pink, orange, blue, and yellow. The leaves were a vivid shade of green that made Trowa's eyes look brown. The smells… He'd never smelled anything like this. It was like all the best potpourri, candles, food, and flowers all jumbled together. It should have been overwhelming, but there was something mouthwatering and peaceful about where he was.

"Wait… Where am I?" he asked out loud as he took a better look at his surroundings. Dense vegetation that hinted at a jungle, but there were no animal sounds, no rushing water to confirm that. Besides, while it was hot, it wasn't humid like a jungle should have been. "Is this someone's greenhouse?"

Carefully, he looked around and tried to identify any of the plants around him, but he failed. He'd grown up on L2, which wasn't really know for its plant life, and until he'd reached Earth, he'd never seen a flower that wasn't plastic or in a book. He looked ahead of him and saw a bench, next to a tiny pond. He walked over and sat down, wondering where he'd ended up and how he was supposed to get back home. It was then that he noticed that he wasn't wrapped in bandages and could move everything freely.

"Hell yes!"

"Not quite, little human," a familiar voice boomed behind him. He turned to find the two angels, Maximus and Thaddeus, standing behind him, wearing polaric yet identical smiles. "This is one of our Master's gardens."

"This will be the last time we pull you into a discussion, Duo Maxwell," the one in black, Maximus, told him.

"Oh? Why's that? Did your Master yell at you?"

"Actually…" Thaddeus said with a grimace that made his beautiful face twist in ways Duo hadn't thought possible.

"Are… you… kidding… me?" he asked between guffaws. "Did… he… threaten… to… clip… your… wings?" Neither angel answered, but both were stony. "Wow, sorry guys. That's pretty lame."

"Anyway, human," Thaddeus said, pulling up a few of the bright blue flowers to lace them into Maximus' hair. "We'd like to commend you on your progress with Miss Peacecraft."

"Uh, yeah, whatever. I made Lena cry. That's not exactly progress, Angel Boy."

"Quite the contrary," Maximus said, admiring his new hair trinkets. "Think of it as the damn springing a leak before bursting. Although, I think Mr. Yuy will present you with difficulties."

"Gah! Don't I know it!" Duo sighed and then winced in pain. "Hey, not that I'm not grateful for this mind reading gift thing… It kinda makes me cooler than Q… But, could you do something about the range? Hearing every thought from every person in twenty yards around me is friggin' painful!"

"I guess we could do something about that," Max answered. He placed a cool hand against Duo's head and the pressure that had been sitting behind his eyes since he woke up from the coma eased. "Now, that should help you out a bit more. Your gift will only work if that person is in the same room as you, but you'll still be able to hear more than one person if they are near you."

"Got it. So this means no parties, yeah?"

"I suppose so, Duo. As I stated previously, we won't be able to contact you again for a long while, so enjoy your time with your friends and remember your duty."

"Hey, I have a question! When does this 'gift' go away?"

"You don't want a gift from the Master?" Thaddeus asked incredulously. "This is why I hate humans, Maximus."

"Fulfill your duty and we will talk about relieving you of your gift," Maximus said soothingly as he wrapped an arm around his counterpart's slim waist. "Oh, and perhaps you should give Wufei a little kiss from us."

"WHAT?" Duo squawked. A large boom sounded and he cowered under the bench, wondering when the aftershock of the earthquake was going to hit. "What in the Seven Hells is that?"

"That is the Master's voice," Thaddeus replied quietly. "We have to go." The two angels disappeared and Duo was glad that he wasn't on the other end of that anger.

Duo woke up, breathing heavily and all awash in cool sweat. The vividness of the dream came back as he took a normal breath. They wouldn't be back. He could finally rest like a normal person, with his normal nightmares and regular torments. And as he came to this realization, it also donned on him that he couldn't hear anyone else's thoughts. He was alone. For the first time since he woke up from his coma, he was truly and wholly alone. Blessedly, he could hear himself think again.

He rolled over and looked at the time on the clock next to his bed. It was six AM, and if the hospital staff's thoughts were to be believed, Wufei was already somewhere on the grounds by now and heading his way. He didn't know if that was what he wanted or feared. Something inside of him quivered in anticipation, but he wasn't sure if he could trust it. He didn't have long to think because the door was opened without a sound, revealing the Chinese man in all black, his silky black hair slipping from the ponytail at the nape of his neck.

"Don't you ever sleep?" Duo said, praying that his voice didn't crack.

"Hm," Wufei replied, taking the chair next to the bed and wiping his golden hands down his tired face.

"Those clothes look familiar…"

"You bought them for me…"

"…for Christmas last year. Okay, I remember now." He smiled faintly as the artificial sun began to rise in the window behind his friend. "Do you remember how we got caught under the mistletoe at Quatre's then?"

Wufei looked up and transfixed Duo with his huge, dark eyes. "I do," he whispered huskily, getting up to stand over the top of Duo. The American's heart began to pound in his ears and his breath caught in his throat as Wufei's thoughts flowed into his mind. 'I want to kiss him again. I want to kiss him and make him beg for me to do it again. I want to monopolize all his time and take him home with me.'

"Fei?" Duo whispered nervously, half wanting what he was hearing and half terrified of the possessiveness the man who was his best friend was displaying. He didn't get a reply, neither did Wufei move. "Wufei?"

Before he knew what was happening, Wufei was kissing him, hard. Hands latched into his messily braided hair, tugging gently, making him mewl with desire, and getting him so aroused he nearly started crying. Then, the hands traveled carefully down his still recovering body to the edge of his t-shirt and starting caressing his abs with fleeting fingertips. He didn't fight when Wufei's tongue sought entry into his mouth. Instead, he allowed and counterattacked with his own tongue as he wrapped his arms around the other man's neck.

His eyes popped open, his breathing heavy and ragged. 'The fuck… Oh, God, that was… intense.' A knock on the door dragged his attention back to reality. "Come in." He squeaked uncharacteristically as Wufei walked through the door.

"Maxwell?" His black eyes watched Duo questioningly as he squirmed and gulped in air. "Is there something wrong? Are you having trouble breathing?"

"I'm… fine…" Duo whispered, his face flushing unnaturally. "Um, you're here early."

"I couldn't sleep."

"Only able to sleep when you're around me, eh?" The American's voice was joking, but there was a forced quality to it.

He almost regretted coming in that morning, since with as little rest as he got, he was unable to fully control his thoughts. 'You have no idea. I wish I'd had anything else to wear here besides this outfit.'

Suddenly, the blue-violet eyes that he had hoped for two months to open were scrutinizing him closely, and he felt self-conscience. "Fei, is that the outfit I got you last year?"

Heat rushed to his cheeks as he nodded. "It seems I've run out of clean clothes and it will be days before the rest are cleaned." He knew he sounded ridiculous, but there was really no helping it. 'Ancestors, let me get through today without embarrassing myself or ruining our relationship by forcing my feelings upon him.'

Duo blinked several times, his face a cool mask as he thought. 'Feelings? Ruining our relationship? Oh. My. God. I gotta get him out of here before *I* do something stupid. That damn dream… I wish I hadn't slept now!' Carefully, Duo settled his face into what he hoped was a small, amused smile before he spoke again. "Well, 'Fei, I have some business this morning with 'Ro and an MRI and CAT scan."

"How are your migraines?" Wufei asked, his face settling into its normal scowl. He could tell an omission of something was coming up. Duo never lied, but he was the master of not telling everything.

"Hurt, but I'll live, the doctor says." Duo shifted nervously as he looked into Wufei's dark eyes for longer than a few seconds. 'I dunno how to say this to him without hurting his feelings. "Hey Wufei, get lost so I can yell at Heero"? That sounds stupid!' He began tugging on the end of his braid in frustration. "Argh, okay, look, Fei; I'm gonna say something and it's gonna sound bad because I have no idea how I can say it better. I'm sure Q could tell me how to do it, but he's not here. So here I go – I need to talk to Heero and Quatre alone today. It will be awkward and uncomfortable already. With you here, it will be impossible. So, I need you to go."

"Go?" Wufei's black eyes blinked several times in confusion, and his brain raced too quickly for either pilot to read his thoughts clearly. 'Do you not want me here?'

"It's not that I don't love y- your company," Duo said fast. "There's just something I gotta discuss with them and it's private."

Wufei nodded, numbed momentarily. 'He really doesn't want me here.' Duo swallowed at the self-pity and misery in the other man's inner voice, but he didn't know what to do. He could acknowledge that he knew what Wufei was thinking and that it was all untrue. And possibly scare the hell out of his best friend. Or, he could just let him think that he didn't want him here, and still fuck up their relationship. Or… he could tell him part of the truth and then… Yes…

"Wufei, look, here's the deal. Relena… as if this is much of a shock… is stupidly, hopelessly in love with Heero, and he's like a cyborg, yeah?" When the other man nodded slowly, Duo felt the courage to continue his sloppy explanation. "Well, when I woke up and saw that nothing had changed between them, I got angry. So, I'm going to help Lena out by pointing out to our stupid comrade that he's got an amazing woman before him, who loves him and needs him."

"Ah, yes," Wufei said carefully, relief flooding his mind. 'So, that means he doesn't want me to leave him alone.'

"Yeah, so, it's gonna be difficult enough when it's just me and him. With you here, he'd never say anything." Duo wished he could stop his mouth from running off, but was finding it unmanageable. "I wish you could stay though."

"What about Winner?" 'Why does he get to be around you while you push me away? Why him? He has Barton, doesn't he?'

Duo flushed as Wufei's near accusations slapped him. "I just need to talk to him too. That's all." He snuck a look at his friend and cringed at the cold look on his delicate features. "You can take the opportunity to rest some more. I promise that I'll behave and not torture the hospital staff too much and I won't run out of here before the doctor says I can go."

Slowly, Wufei's features moved from ice cold stare to almost giddy with relief. "Good. Then things are how they should be." He gave Duo a small smile. "I can't believe I managed to get you to promise those things to me without the use of violence."

"Hey! Now's not the time to get cocky, Wu-man!" Duo shouted playfully. 'I can't believe I promised him those things either. I really just want to get the hell out of here.'

A knock on the door stopped them both from saying anything farther, and the appearance of a well-rested Heero brought a string of cursing thoughts to both Duo and Wufei. "Good morning, Chang, Duo."

"Yuy," Wufei said tersely. 'I wish he'd just disappear so that I could spend more time with Duo awake.' "Well, I will see you later, Duo."

"'Kay, I'll call you later, Fei," the American stated, hoping his cheeks weren't as flushed as his mind was with Wufei's thoughts. The Chinese man left and Duo concentrated on Heero's thoughts before trying to begin with his day's difficult mission.

'He looks better. All of the bruises are gone. His coloring is normal. And it looks as if he's no longer in any casts. Overall prognosis is fortunate. His healing rate is nearly at normal human being, but that's not surprising, considering that J told me once we began approaching full adulthood, our Gundam pilot metabolisms would slowly meld into what they should have been.'

"Whoa! 'Ro, how come you never told me that our bodies would turn normal?"

Heero blinked in surprise. 'How did he know? The other day… and just now…it's not possible, but it's the only way it fits.' He closed his eyes as he thought, carefully keeping his face completely blank. 'Duo, can you hear my thoughts?'

"Yeah, loud and clear as a bell, 'Ro." Duo snickered as Heero's mask cracked and he gaped at him in utter disbelief. "Yeah, I get that. Try living with it. I feel like I'm going crazy! I guess now I can give Q a run for freak of the group now."

"Hm, that just means you're more dangerous than you were before," Heero said casually, his mouth quirked up into a small smile. "So, what did you want to talk to me about?"

"Relena…" That one word made Heero's face turn to stone and his crossed his arms across his chest defensively. His mind was blank, but Duo could read the anger in every movement of the Japanese pilot. "Look, 'Ro, I have no romantic interest in Relena Peacecraft. If you want her, suck it up, find your balls and tell her!"

'What?'

"Okay, I guess I have to say this in plain English, which I know you understand, Heero," Duo said, pinching the bridge of his nose as the pressure built up behind his eyes. "It's like this. You and Lena are in love with each other, but you're too dumb to realize it and she's too busy to have any kind of love life. So, you're going to have to tell her how you feel, since she's been the one chasing you up until the end of the first war. You. Are. Going. To. Have. To. Confess."

"C-confess?"

"Yes, as in, 'Oh, Relena, you're so beautiful and the only one that makes this lump of coal I call a heart pound. Please be my woman?' That."

Heero looked as if he was a deer caught in the headlights as he tried to process what Duo was telling him. "Impossible."

"Well, Yuy, you're gonna have to make it possible. I don't want to see Lena cry again."

Slowly, the shock wore off, and Heero's thoughts turned as cold as his eyes. "Stay out of this, Duo," he said calmly. "I don't care what you can or can't do. Stay out of it, or else."

"Or else what? You'll kill me? Didn't you already threaten me with that? Twice?" Duo scoffed and waved a hand, which Heero snatched and squeezed hard.

"Back. Off," he snarled before throwing Duo's captured hand away and stomping out of the hospital.


	5. The Trouble With Gundam Pilots

Title: The Matchmaker  
Author: Makoto Sagara  
Series: Gundam Wing  
Archive: The usual suspects; anywhere else, please ask first.  
Category: Supernatural, Angst, Romance, Sap

Pairings: Eventual 2x5x2, 3x4x3, and 1xRx1  
Rating: T  
Warnings: Shonen ai, language, angst, sap, het, supernatural dealings  
Disclaimers: Yeah, like I own Gundam Wing. (Goes off to cry, but not before turning out pockets) I am poor as well. Flames will be used to amuse my muses. They are easily entertained, but highly obnoxious.

A/N: Everyone can thank Mel & Christy for coming out of hiding inspiring me that I actually *do* want to write fanfiction. They're the reason I even opened up my Gundam Wing files and started to look for my notes. I 3 DoJ, and it made me realize how much I missed GW fanfiction. So, enjoy the new chapter and don't forget to review, kk?

Chapter Five: The Trouble with Gundam Pilots…

Duo sat on the bed, staring gloomily at the door after Heero'd stomped out. Which, by the way, was unusual for him…? Heero didn't stomp, normally, but he certainly had when leaving Duo's room. "Was it the fact of Relena or that I brought up his repeated threats that he's failed to carry out?" he muttered aloud.

His musings were interrupted by Quatre, who was carrying a bag of what could only have been contraband food. His stomach rumbled happily at the smell of grease, salt, and fat, but he remembered the nurse's words last night at dinner time. "Quatre, this is cruel and unusual punishment, even for you."

The blond blinked slowly, his happy grin fading into confusion. "What did I do?"

"I can't have food until after the MRI and CAT scan," Duo said miserably while his stomach growled again. "And that smells like real food, which I really want."

"When are the appointments for the scans?" Quatre popped into Duo's private bathroom, turned on the fan, placed the food bag in the sink and shut the door.

"Soon, I hope. God, I'll be so happy to leave this house of torture." Duo scrunched his face in a grimace. "Think of the kind of damage OZ could have done if they'd stuck us in hospitals!"

"Please, let's not think about that," Quatre said. '_A'ham d'Allah_**1** that they didn't,' the blond thought bleakly. "Anyway, you seemed rather unhappy when I walked in. Can I take it that your conversation with Heero didn't go so well?"

"Why bother trying to hide it from you, Q-man? You can probably tell that he and I exchanged words."

'I was worried about that…' The Arab smiled weakly. "Well, yes, I can, but that is neither here nor there." Bright aqua eyes penetrated Duo's bleak thoughts. "There has been something wrong with you since you woke up, Duo. Trowa's refused to say what it is, and I doubt Wufei has really noticed it."

"There's nothing… Okay, whatever…" Duo blew his breath and his bangs fluttered before his eyes. "Let's just say you're not the only 'special person' in the group anymore."

'What in the world is that supposed to mean?'

"It means that I can read your thoughts, Q-bean. And I don't just mean yours. I mean everyone who comes into the room with me… It's pretty fucking annoying."

The blond blinked, stunned. 'Did I say that out loud?'

"Nope, but it doesn't matter. Your thoughts are mine now! And so are all the thoughts of the hospital staff, my doctor, Wufei, Heero, Trowa and Lena." Duo threw up his arms and winced as the right arm began to ache where the cast had been. "And, let me tell you what, Heero and Relena are starting to piss me off."

Quatre felt the corners of his mouth twitch, but he held hard to keep his face straight. "Oh? Is it any less annoying than the fact that I can tell how you feel every time Wufei touches you?" 'Or when you touch him?'

Those words, and thoughts, took the wind out of Duo's sails. "You can feel those?"

"Every single time, but then again, I can feel Heero and Relena's feelings too, so I understand that frustration."

"Then did you know that Trowa fantasizes about…"

Quatre flushed unnaturally as his heart began to race. 'Don't say it. Don't say it. Don't say it. Please, Allah, don't let Duo finish that sentence.'

"So, you *do* know!"

"How could I not?" 'I cannot be forgiven for those thoughts. I cannot be forgiven for those thoughts.'

"Bullshit! Q, I may be the world's worst Christian, which I'm not even going to try and deny, but I know that God, Allah, Buddha or whatever you want to call our great Creator is all about love and forgiveness. But mostly about love."

"Duo that is your Jesus… Besides, I'm not going to get into a religious discussion about this right now. What's between Trowa and I is none of your concern."

"Wrong~! If I have to hear your damn thoughts, I don't want it to be about how good his ass looks in his tight ass jeans. Though, I do agree…" That caused Quatre to blush again and his thoughts became just a string of cursing in Arabic. "I'm not sure what those words mean, but I'll have you know that I don't even know who my parents are. So, insulting them is worthless in my book."

"I-I… Ugh! You are impossible. No wonder Heero left here totally upset." Quatre sighed. "I'm sorry. I know you mean well, Duo, but please leave my relationship with Trowa alone for now."

"Afraid, eh? Join the damn club."

Before either man could reply, a nurse came in. "Okay, Mr. Maxwell, it's time to take you down to Radiology." She turned a 1000-watt smile on Quatre. "Oh, Mr. Winner, would you like to come with him?"

Duo snatched up Quatre's nearest appendage and held it tightly. "I don't think I have a say-so now, so yes."

Three hours later, Quatre wheeled Duo back into his room and helped him back into the hospital bed. "Well, that was fun. We absolutely must do this again." The blond's voice was laced with amusement. 'It was especially funny when you started whimpering in the MRI chamber.'

"That wasn't that funny, Quatre!"

"Why, yes, yes, it was. I thought you were going to scream."

"Real men do *not* scream, Winner." Duo crossed his arms carefully against his ribcage. "It would be… dishonorable."

Quatre started snorting as he opened the door to the bathroom and retrieved the bag of fast food he'd left there earlier. "Now that you've started to channel Wufei, I suppose you don't want what's in this bag…"

"Ah, ah, bring that over here, Blondie, or I tell Bang Boy everything!" Blue eyes narrowed in contemplation before a smile settled over the blond's face.

"Not if you don't want me to tell Wufei just how *you* feel." A malicious thought came to his mind. "Of course, I could tell him anyway. I'd love to see his face."

"You are a mean spirited man, Quatre Raberba Winner," Duo said sadly.

"Oh, shut up, Duo. I'm going to find a way to heat this food up, and you're going to watch TV and be a good boy."

"I already promised 'Fei that I wouldn't run away, but if a nurse comes in, I'm going to torture her, sorry."

Quatre smiled naturally. "You're not, but that's okay."

When he was alone, Duo realized that he wasn't particularly hungry, so he laid his head against his pillows with his closed and let his mind wander. The images of a corgi with a black heart-shaped patch of fur rolled across the back of his brain, but flowed out just as easily as they entered. "Dog's name is Draper…" He vaguely wondered how he knew, but figured it was probably because the patient in the next room was thinking about their pet.

The next thing he knew, the phone was ringing and the clock told him it was after 8pm.

Relena thought twice about calling Duo in the hospital. 'He might have company, or be out of his… mind with boredom.' She giggled at the image of Duo hobbling along as he drove the nurses from his room, screaming in terror. 'Oh, yes, he needs to talk to me.' She picked up the phone from the cradle and sat down on the king-sized hotel room bed. It rang three times before it was answered by the American pilot.

"Yeah," he said, his normally deep voice deeper still with sleep.

"Ah, Duo, sorry, I didn't think that you'd be asleep," she said, instantly regretting her hasty decision.

"No, Lena, it's cool. What's up?"

"Well, I was calling you to see how you're feeling today."

"Ah, well, I woke up to 'Fei in my room, so… But then Heero came in and we kinda had an argument." He sounded embarrassed, but that couldn't have been correct.

"Hm, I guess if you go for surly Chinese men, waking up to Chang Wufei wouldn't be a bad thing. But you fought with Heero? What was it about?"

"You…"

"M-me?" She squeaked, shocked to say the least. "Look, Duo, you don't have to stick up for me…"

"Bullshit! I do. God, I *am* a man, Relena Peacecraft, and tears from a girl are scary as hell. So, Heero needs to pony up and be a big boy. Instead, he hides behind idle threats and some pretty disturbing daydreams…" He sighed. "Well, they're only disturbing if you don't like girls, which I d- Scratch that, I don't hate girls, but I have no intention of dating one. So, yeah…"

"Duo, have you told Wufei how you feel about him?"

"How the hell do *you* know? Q I can understand, mostly, but you?"

"Um, my eyes work… Besides, I'd say you have a fairly decent shot of him returning your feelings with the way he's hovered over you for the last two months." Relena smiled sadly. "It was rather cute how he'd wash your hair and then carefully braid it again. Once, I watched through the window as he yelled at a nurse until his entire face was red because she'd decided to touch your hair while he went and got himself some food."

"R-really?" She could barely hear his voice. "Yeah, anyway, so, um…. How was your day?"

"Boring, but since I'm still here in London, Parliament is having a snit fit and demanding that I return, even though I don't remember it stating anywhere in my job duties to play referee for a bunch of grownups who are determined to out scream each other every single day."

"Ouch."

"Yeah, I told them that I would be gone for another week, which should give you enough time to be released from the hospital… hint hint… and then I would return to their shouting matches."

"Ugh, I don't know how you do that without shooting someone."

"Well, it helps that I don't know *how* to shoot a gun, to be honest." She tucked her feet under her as she got comfortable. "Seeing as how I'm a pacifist, I guess that's a good thing, but sometimes, I wish I could!"

Duo laughed, and she smiled at the happiness that carried over the phone line. "See, that's why you need someone like Heero. A glare or wave of the gun, and they'd behave like good little children."

"It does seem to have some sort of merit, truthfully," she replied, biting back on the sudden bitterness she felt. "But, I think it would undermine my efforts of peace."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever you say, Toots."

"Oh, you are so going to pay for that, Duo!"

"As you say, Majesty!" She screamed in frustration and he began laughing. "You really hate that title, don't you?"

"You have no idea."

They continued to chat for another thirty minutes, until she could hear the nurses on Duo's end telling him that he needed to turn in for the night and asking questions about Wufei and Quatre at the same time. They said their goodbyes and Relena felt about ten pounds lighter just hearing that she had at least one friend who would stand up for her, even if she didn't really understand why he was doing it.

Wufei looked up from his book as Heero walked into the door of the room. A quick peek at the clock told him it was after 9pm. The former pilot of Wing had been gone from their company for over twelve hours, and something told him that he wasn't in any mood for a chat. Not that Heero ever chatted before…

Quatre and Trowa looked up from their chess game and greeted Heero before returning their attention to their game. The Japanese man did something unusual by sitting down next to Wufei on the couch and turning on the television to an old twentieth century movie. His features could have been carved out of stone and his eyes made of glass for all the emotion he showed, which indicated to his friend that he was thinking about something that he didn't know how to solve.

"Heero?" Wufei closed his book and turned to face his neighbor. Cobalt blue eyes turned to him and blinked repeatedly. "Is there something I can help you with?"

"I'm not… sure," Heero said carefully, his voice betraying his distress.

"Did something happen today with Duo?"

"Yes, tell your stupid friend to stay the hell out of my business!" Heero jumped up from the couch and began to pace, his hands reaching for a gun he hadn't carried in weeks. Wufei turned to look at the other men in the room, who seemed to be just as confused and shocked as he was. "He's sticking his nose into my private business, and then has the gall to lecture me on how to handle it when he won't even gather up the courage to…"

"To do what?" Quatre asked quietly.

"Never mind," Heero said, seeming to deflate right before them. He strode over to the vidphone and put it on private audio, but Wufei could guess who Heero was calling before he even finished dialing. "Duo, about this morning, I…" He paused as the other man said something. "No, I overreacted. I'm… sorry." Another pause.

Wufei shared a questioning look with Trowa, who just shrugged and continued to watch their friend. Quatre was smiling faintly in an uncomfortable way that made Wufei very glad that it wasn't him it was directed at. The Arab pilot knew too much about all of them for anyone to really just sit down and be calm when he smiled like that.

"Yes, fine. Here he is." Heero turned and looked at Trowa. "Duo would like to speak to you."

"Hm," Trowa mumbled good-naturedly. "I was wondering when you'd get around to me, Duo. Yes, I can do that. What time? 10? Alright, I'll see you then. Wufei? Yes, he's right here. Good night then." The tall man turned and indicated it was the Chinese pilot's turn to speak to their hospital bound friend.

Wufei tried to casually walk over to the phone, but he could feel the others' eyes on him as he moved and hoped that what Duo had to say would be quick and not of a personal nature. "Duo?"

"Ah, 'Fei, how are you tonight?"

"Fine and yourself? Did you hear back about the tests you took today?"

"Nah, Doctor Golf said the results would be in tomorrow afternoon, which I guess is as quick as they can manage. All this technology and it still takes twenty-four hours for them to find their ass with both hands." Wufei smiled at that comment. It was pure Duo Maxwell. "Um, what I wanted to ask is if you'd planned on coming to see me tomorrow."

"If you'd like," Wufei said, trying to sound casual as his heart rate increased exponentially.

"Of course, Wu. That way, if Doc Golf springs me after the results, you can whisk me away immediately."

"Ah," he said noncommittally, hoping that his face wasn't as flushed as he felt. He knew that if he saw Winner at that moment, he'd be unable to escape the blond's knowing looks.

"Oh, um, can you tell Heero that everything between us is fine and that I'm sorry? I, uh, kinda made him angry earlier and I shouldn't have." Duo did sound remorseful, and even if Wufei was curious as to what really transpired between his two friends, he was aware that it was none of his concern. Besides, Duo would tell him if it was important. He always had before now.

"I can do that. What time did you want me to come?"

"How about noon, that way we can do lunch?" Wufei nodded, and sighed as he remembered it was an audio only call.

"Alright, I'll be there. Good night, Duo."

"Night, Fei. See ya tomorrow." Wufei hung up the phone, passed along Duo's message to Heero, and went into the room he shared with Trowa. He had no idea what was going on, but something told him that he was soon going to find out. And he wasn't sure if he was going to like it. Not at all.

Fingers were laced in his free-flowing hair, and the body next to his was warm and firm with the lean musculature of a martial artist. He murmured as he tried to loosen the grasp of the person next to him, but he felt weakened, as if he'd been in a fight that had tossed him around Deathscythe's cockpit for a long time. Besides, whoever held him was strong. Like a fellow Gundam pilot strong. He opened his eyes to find golden skin, and lots of it, wrapped around and beside him.

"Stop moving so much, Maxwell," Wufei's rich voice growled. "Some of us are enjoying a day off in bed."

"…'Fei?" he croaked, hoping he would be heard over the pounding of his heart. "What are you…?"

"I said stop moving, Duo." His bed partner sat up and leaned over him, dark eyes nearly completely black as they stared down at him. "I was trying to enjoy being in bed with you." Any further conversation was stopped by Wufei's perfect bow-shaped mouth covering his own in a searing kiss.

Duo woke up to his blood pounding in his ears and his breathing labored. "Dream… Just a dream…" As the white walls of the hospital formed solidly to his eyes, the American forced his breathing to regulate as well as could be expected. 'Am I happy or upset that it was just a dream,' he thought miserably.

He had little time to consider the ramifications of that thought as his breakfast was brought in by one of the orderlies. "Mr. Maxwell, Nurse Roth tells me that you have been behaving lately," the man said as he set the tray of fruit and soggy pancakes before him. "Glad to hear it. Now they won't be so cranky."

"Hey, if you all are lucky, I'll leave today and you all can go back to normal," Duo teased while pushing the food around with the plastic fork he'd been provided. Despite the fact that he hadn't eaten in thirty-six hours, nothing before him seemed appetizing. He sorely regretted falling asleep before Quatre came back with that food the day before.

"No, sir, that's if you're lucky." The orderly smiled and it was at that moment that Duo noticed the man's big, black eyes. "Well, enjoy your institutionalized meal."

Duo tried to read the man's thoughts and got nothing. He blinked in surprise. This was the first person he'd been around since waking up from his coma that he couldn't read. He wasn't sure what that meant, but it was a bit comforting to think that there was someone who didn't broadcast like the old Earth radio waves. But then again, it felt completely wrong, suspicious. The door shut with a low click and still Duo sat there staring at the wall, lost in thought. 'Someone I can't read… What the hell does that mean?'

Distractedly, he began to pick at the fruit, ignoring the slightly bitter taste of oranges not quite ripe when mixed with the others. "I'd kill for a decent cup of coffee," he muttered under his breath. "Even Heero's rocket fuel would be welcome right now."

'Then you should be thankful that I was nice this morning,' a familiar mind thought in his direction. Duo whipped towards the door, hoping and fearing it was Wufei, and he fought with the urge to be disappointed that it was only Trowa.

"You know, I should be worried that you are taking this whole thing so nonchalantly."

'It could have been worse,' Trowa thought with an exaggerated shrug as he came and put a large, steaming cup of fresh coffee before him.

"Trowa, I could kiss you right now."

"I'd rather you didn't," the banged man said. An image so vivid flashed across his mind that Duo winced.

"I take back -ever- wishing I could read your mind. It's a scary place, that." His friend just smiled and shrugged again. Duo took a large gulp of the steaming beverage before him and then launched directly into the reason for their meeting. "Look, you know that I've talked to Lena, 'Ro, and Q by now. You're smarter than Heero, so I'm not going to talk to you the way I did to him."

"I'd appreciate it," Trowa said, sitting down gracefully in the chair beside Duo's bed.

"You and Quatre… I've seen the thoughts that go through your mind when you look at him. They were there even when I woke up to everyone in the room."

"And?" Long arms crossed defensively across the banged man's chest, but his face stayed the mask of passive amusement. However, the façade was covering up a deep angry streak in his mind.

"Look, if you don't want to talk about this, too damn bad. I am the one stuck listening to everyone's thoughts about everyone else."

"Including Wufei's?"

"Especially Wufei's, but that is neither here nor there." Duo sighed with a crimson blush and pushed the food tray away from his empty stomach. "I'm not even going to apologize for being a busybody. Now, why haven't you told him?"

Trowa stood, his long legs moving as fluidly as any dancer Duo'd ever seen. "I do… Dammit, Duo, you can read my mind…" He closed his mind and concentrated, letting his thoughts focus in on the bedridden man. 'I do find him attractive, and even sweet and gentle when he wants to be, but there is hate in him so deep that I find it disturbing.'

"We all have that hate, Tro."

'Granted, but how many of us have let it roam free like he has?'

"Wufei…"

"Ahhh…" Trowa nodded in acknowledgement before he continued his thoughts. 'Quatre has a large family of sisters. I have… my lions, I think.'

"Cathy, as well."

'Yes, well, there is that. He has a business to run. I work in a circus to hide from everything. Although, Une has asked me repeatedly to join the Preventers in the last few months.'

"Me too, but I've been avoiding her calls."

"There's no place for me." A flash of Quatre's smiling face crossed his mind before vanishing just as quickly.

"Look, you dumbass, Quatre likes you just as much. I don't know why, and I'm not going to profess to be all-knowing either." Duo could feel his blood pressure rising as his anger grew at the stupidity of everyone he was around. "We're all socially awkward teenagers, being forced to be even more socially awkward adults! You need to be honest with Q, and yourself, about how you -both- feel and just let the cards fall where they may after that!"

Trowa let out a loud laugh, something that Duo had only heard once. "Duo, you should really listen to yourself and take that advice." His emerald green eyes, both for once, bored straight into Duo's skull as his friend came closer. "How long do you think you can lie to yourself about Wufei? Everyone but the two of you can see what's going on. Just think about that a bit."

With a smile and a shake of his head, Trowa left the room. And if Duo hadn't heard his thoughts at that moment, he'd have assumed he had not a care in the world. 'Time to grow up and be honest indeed.'

It was nearly noon, but Wufei paused before the door to Duo's room, trying to compose himself. 'There was no hidden meaning to his asking me to come this afternoon. There was no hidden meaning to his asking me to come this afternoon.' After he repeated this thought another ten times, the Chinese man finally felt like he could open the door without betraying his innermost secret. 'We are friends. I am here to visit him while he is hospitalized. We are…' His thoughts dissolved into a string of curses before he contained himself enough to open the door.

What greeted him was the last thing he expected. Duo sat with his legs hanging over the side of the bed, hair free and everywhere, although obviously wet from a washing. The American was trying to take a comb through the tangled chestnut locks and muttering under his breath every time a snag proved to be more difficult that he'd previously guessed. Wufei stood in the doorway, mesmerized, as deft hands made their way through the long strands with a practiced ease that left him wistful.

'Beautiful,' he thought absently as he fought with the urge to step forward and bury his face in his friend's hair.

"Heya, Fei," Duo said with a beatific smile. His comb paused as he stared at Wufei.

'Iwanthim,' was the last coherent thing that crossed the Shenlong pilot before he crossed the room and kissed Duo with everything he had.

TBC

Notes:

A'ham d'Allah – Arabic for praise be to Allah


	6. What the

**Title:** The Matchmaker 6/?  
**Author: **Makoto Sagara  
**Series:** Gundam Wing  
**Archive:** The usual suspects; anywhere else, please ask first.  
**Category**: Supernatural, Angst, Romance, Sap

**Pairings:** Eventual 2x5x2, 3x4x3, and 1xRx1  
**Rating:** T  
**Warnings:** Shonen ai, language, angst, sap, het, supernatural dealings  
**Disclaimers:** Yeah, like I own Gundam Wing. (Goes off to cry, but not before turning out pockets) I am poor as well. Flames will be used to amuse my muses. They are easily entertained, but highly obnoxious.

**A/N:** I finished chapter 5 not even a week after completing chapter 4. It's kinda scary how productive I've become since reemerging from under my rock. Oh well, enjoy! The muses say review so they can start a summer bonfire….

**Chapter Six: What the…**

Duo froze as Wufei crossed the room in a blur and kissed him until he could not feel his legs anymore. As long as he had dreamed this, and ignored the signs all around him, he still was unable to believe what was going on. Slowly, very slowly, his body responded – arms wrapped around the Chinese man's slender neck, lips struggled for dominance, hips shot forward, and sounds of pleasure escaped his throat.

When Wufei's long fingers dug themselves in his hair, Duo was able to gain some sort of remnant of his sanity. As if burned, he disengaged his body from around the other man and jumped back. "What the hell was that?" He was going for indignant, but was betrayed by being breathless and aroused.

"I thought it was rather self-explanatory," Wufei managed after a few moments, short of breath himself. 'I've kissed him…finally… What now?'

"That's what I want to know!"

Black eyes shot up in confusion. "Know what?"

"What the hell! Fei, I- I- I certainly did NOT expect that," Duo shot back.

"Hm," was all the Asian man replied with, but his brain was going triple time. 'Does he regret it? Did I read the signs wrong? Has Quatre been fooled?'

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Signs? Q fooled? And why would I regret…" A hand shot up to cover his mouth before he said too much, but the look on his friend's face told him it was too late.

'How in the… Should I speak to his neurosurgeon?' Wufei eyed him warily, as if looking for any more signs that Duo was about to go crazy. "What are you talking about, Maxwell?"

"Nothing," Duo replied churlishly, all thoughts of passion flown the coop. Luckily both men were halted from speaking again by the arrival of Duo's physician.

"Ah, Mr. Maxwell, you're looking well today. How do you feel?"

"I'll be great once you tell me I can get the hell out of here," was the surly answer.

"Well, we'll get to that." The doctor smiled in Wufei's direction. "And Mr. Chang, it's nice to see you here again." 'Does this man ever leave this hospital? Doesn't he have a job with the Preventers?' He cleared his throat before beginning. "I do bear some good news for you, Duo." He consulted the charts and papers in his hands. "While the MRI showed some elevated usage in the left side of your brain, mostly centered on the creativity and emotional seats, your left and right parietals seem to be fine. And since those were the areas where your hematomas were, I'm glad to say that there seems to be no side-effects."

Wufei sighed in relief, and Duo blinked in confusion. "Okay, so, um, in lay terms, my motor skills are fine, but there is some unusual activity in part of my brain?"

"Exactly, and the episodic amnesia you mentioned about before the accident is quite normal in your situation." The doctor jotted a few notes on the chart before speaking again. "I would like for you to get some physical therapy for your left leg and right arm. You should regain nearly all of your former usage in time, but for now, you might want to consider a cane or crutches, if your vanity is like that of some of my other patients."

"How long do you think it'll be before he will be back to normal?" Wufei asked, his brain filing the information away and flitting through a few ways to make Duo comply.

"It would be hard to say. His rate of healing is very accelerated, which I'm certain is in part of his training as a Gundam pilot, but if pressed, I would have to say at least two months of physical therapy for his leg."

"So, is it outpatient or inpatient?" Duo asked tiredly.

"Outpatient, which should make the hospital staff breathe easier. Your pranks and surliness have made more than one nurse ask for a floor transfer." The doctor smiled as he consulted his PDA. "Well, I have a few more patients to see before this day is over." 'And a golf game and dinner to attend today.'

"One more question, Doc, when can I leave?"

"I have your forms here for release, but you'll have to read over them and sign. I will also send the information for the PT around before you leave." The doctor's smile dropped into a scowl. "Do not neglect to schedule that, Mr. Maxwell. It is very important. And you will be leaving today in a wheelchair, regardless of how indignant you become."

"Yeah, yeah," Duo answered, feeling lighter with the news of being free. The doctor put the forms on the boy's bed and stepped back.

"I'll be back in an hour to get those forms. If you think of any other questions in the meantime, let me know then."

"Thanks, Doc!" The door clicked softly behind the physician and both remaining men stared at one another uncomfortably. Both started speaking at the same time to break up the silence. "Look, Fei…" "Duo…"

Duo flushed red as he tried to gather his thoughts. "Um, so, I'm free now…"

"Aa," Wufei said noncommittally. 'Should I bring it back up, or act like nothing happened?' He scowled petulantly. 'I don't want to ignore it, but now probably isn't the best time to say anything…' "Do you want to go to the hotel with the others? Or something else?"

"I'd like to go home, truthfully." His violet eyes dropped to the papers in his hands and he squawked in outrage. "RESTRICTED DIET? No fried foods, no heavy sauces, no red meat… What the hell am I supposed to eat?"

"Normal food, I suppose, but that is something you have very limited experience with before now, yes?" Duo's scowling face didn't deter Wufei in his attitude. 'Should I take him home with me as I planned on? Or…' "I'd be more worried about where you're going to live if you don't want to go back to the hotel, considering your 'home' is back on L2 and we're not."

"Yeah, that is a problem," Duo answered robotically as he processed Wufei's thoughts. 'Do I want to go home with Wufei or back to L2?' The thought of his home colony brought another idea to mind. "Hey, Fei, whatever happened to my apartment and all my stuff?"

"I think Quatre sent Rashid and Auda to make sure it stayed locked up." Slowly, black and violet eyes met, leaving Wufei flushed as he tried to think clearly. 'I will not think about the way he tastes.' His tongue darted out to lick his lips. "One of the other Maguanacs has been staying there to make sure nothing is taken."

"Ah, 'kay." Duo's eyes seemed riveted to the other man's mouth as a faint blush began to spread across his cheeks. Suddenly, Trowa's words from earlier that day popped into his head. 'How long do you think you can lie to yourself about Wufei? Everyone but the two of you can see what's going on. Just think about that a bit.' 'Duo, have you told Wufei how you feel about him?' Relena had asked that. He blinked, breaking contact with his friend and turned his head to look out of the window. 'How *do* I feel about him? I…I… Aw, shit, I love him…'

"Maxwell," Wufei said carefully. "Is there anything the matter?" His voice was soft and obviously filled with worry. Duo shook his head and decided to let Wufei's thoughts roam into his own head. 'He's been unnaturally silent. I suppose this means he wants to go back to L2. Why am I disappointed? It's been nearly two months since he's been at his own apartment and his familiar surroundings. I have no claim on him. …But I want one.'

"Wufei," Duo said, smiling shyly. "I don't want to go back to L2."

Heero stared at the vidphone next to his bed and scowled. It was ridiculous that he was finding himself unable to call Relena. He was the head of her security forces. They had spoken many times before. Hell, she'd even followed him around for months during the war. So, why couldn't he pick up the receiver and place the call to her hotel room?

"This is all Duo's fault."

"What is, Heero?" Quatre asked from the doorway of their room. The Japanese man's head shot up to stare at his friend.

'How long has he been there?' Heero's scowl deepened as he thought about it. "Nothing."

"Just do it." Quatre's face remained placid and unassuming, but Heero knew better than to trust the blond's facial expressions. "It's not going to get any easier unless you do."

"How would you know?"

"Believe it or not, I know exactly what you're thinking about, and she'd love to talk to you." Quatre walked over to the closet and began to sort through his clothes. "I'm going to take a shower. After that, Trowa and I are going to lunch. You'll have plenty of time to have a private conversation." With that, he went into the bathroom and shut the door.

Again, Heero went back to scowling at the vidphone as he vacillated. Much to his surprise, it rang. With one hand slightly shaking, he answered and Relena's smiling face stared back at him. "I was just going to call you."

"So, how did your talk with Duo go?" Quatre asked while he and Trowa waited for their lunch to arrive.

"I could ask the same thing," his companion said, smiling slightly.

"Well, my talk with him was interrupted by dragging him through his tests." The blond smiled in return. "I brought him contraband food, but he fell asleep before I could get him to eat it."

Trowa nodded. "I brought him coffee, but he didn't seem too interested in his breakfast. Although, it *was* hospital food, so I can't say that I blame him." They both chuckled politely before they grew awkwardly silent.

"Did… did he say something to you?" Quatre flushed a bit, but didn't miss the flutter of panic that came from Trowa at the same time.

"Not really." The panic vanished, and further conversation was stunted by their meal arriving. Trowa spent the time while he slowly ate to think things over. 'Should I just talk to him truthfully? This is so odd. It has never been like this between us.'

Quatre, at the same time, was trying to process the fleeting panic of his companion while he carefully cut and chewed his food. 'He lied. Why?'

"Have you talked to your sisters lately?"

"Yes, Iria is busy, as always, and the others are off doing their own things. I think Georgette and Karissa are planning on stopping by in the next week. They said something about 'premium shopping' here in London."

"I spoke to Cathy this morning," Trowa said as he carefully observed his friend. "She said the troupe was coming to Europe next month as well."

"Will you rejoin them at that point?" 'Don't go don't go don't go.'

"I'm not sure yet. Has Lady Une contacted about the Preventers at all?"

"Yes, but only as a political ally. I'm sure she's spoken to Relena for the same purpose. Who would dare oppose her with the head of WEI and the Vice-Foreign Minister of the Earth Sphere backing her?"

"Someone rather dense, or greedy, I would suppose." A faint smile graced the banged man's face. "And as far as I've gathered, there are plenty of both in politics." Quatre smiled in return and their eyes met for the first time since they sat down.

Dark, thick eyelashes framed the smaller man's aqua blue eyes, and as he continued to look at Quatre, Trowa found it difficult to breathe properly. His eyes lowered past the cute button nose to the naturally pink lips, curved slightly in a nervous smile. They moved as he spoke, but the normally composed Gundam pilot was unable to understand what the hell he was saying. "Hm?"

Fighting down a fierce blush, Quatre watched his friend. "Trowa, is everything alright?" The other man's staring continued, making him even more uncomfortable. "Trowa? Trowa?" It was after saying his name for a third time that he realized that he was feeling lust and longing from across the table. 'Ah… Oh…' His blush grew deeper. 'This could be a problem.' He cleared his throat. "Trowa, we should really get going."

Trowa nodded, his eyes still watching the way the Arab's mouth moved as he spoke and unconsciously licked his lips. When Quatre stood, Trowa moved fluidly from his side of the table, took the other man's hand and started dragging him across the restaurant's floor, uncaring where they were.

"So, Duo told me that the two of you talked, but it didn't go very well," Relena said with a shy smile.

"I suppose it could be relayed like that." Heero grimaced briefly and visibly wiped his palms against his jean-clad legs. "I think I yelled at him and then stomped out of the room like a three year old."

The girl giggled at the thought. "Oh, Heero, that's too much. You didn't really do that, did you?"

"Um, yes," he said as he blushed. "I called and apologized later… But…"

"What?" Her blue eyes were round and eager in the vidphone's screen. His face flashed through a few emotions before settling for something she'd never seen him express, fear. "Heero, what's wrong?"

"H-have dinner with me tonight?"

'Oh. My. God. Did he just ask me out?' She managed to keep her face straight. "This evening, I believe I'm free."

"I… I'll come and get you at seven then," he said as he was obviously trying to rein in his emotions. She smiled widely.

"I'll see you then." They made awkward goodbyes, and then she stared at the vidphone. "Heero Yuy just asked me out to dinner? I think the world has ended." Her smile got goofy the longer she looked at the screen. 'Oh, God, I have to call Duo!'

"Wufei," Duo said, smiling shyly. "I don't want to go back to L2."

"Your things are there, are they not?" Wufei could feel his left eye twitch as his nerves became taunt with anticipation. 'What in the world is going on? I'm missing some nuance, but he doesn't want to go back to L2. That's good, right?'

"Yeah, but it's not gonna be hard to get them shipped to wherever I am." Duo's face was settled into an amused smile that reached his expressive eyes. Wufei could feel his blood rush the longer they held one another's gaze. One pale hand reached for his own, only making his current rush of desire worse. "Wufei?"

"Duo…" His voice was breathless, and he cursed himself for being so weak, but he still didn't try to correct it. Nor, did he snatch back his hand. 'I want…'

Even before he was able to finish his thought, the American yanked him down until they were face-to-face. Suddenly, lips brushed hesitantly against his, seeming to ask permission. Surprise flashed across his mind before he pushed it back and added pressure to the kiss. He braced his arms on either side of Duo's hips to keep himself from falling on the convalescing man and groaned as the American's legs wrapped around his thighs. The kiss deepened yet again, bruising their lips and stealing any breath they were able to get through their noses, when suddenly both the phone rang and a knock sounded at the door.

"Doctor," Duo cursed as they broke apart slowly. He glanced at the phone's screen and sighed. "Relena."

"Don't answer either," Wufei growled. 'I don't care about either right now.'

"Fei, you gotta let me answer the door at least," Duo pleaded as Wufei released him reluctantly. 'At least I know how he feels now…' He smiled as he rearranged his face to a manic expression. "Come in."

He heard Wufei stab the accept button on the phone and growl at the woman on the other end of the call. "Oh, Wufei, I was hoping that I could talk to Duo," she said pleasantly.

"He is busy," he snarled. 'I was going to…' "What do you want?"

"Um, well, it's really something that I could only talk to Duo about right now. Should I call back?"

"He's being released."

"Oh, really? Well, that's terrific! Will you be taking him back to the hotel then?"

'Shut up, you annoying woman, you.' Duo bit back a laugh as the doctor entered with his charts before him.

"Oh, Mr. Chang, you're still here." The man looked over at the vidphone's screen and his smile grew wider as he spotted Relena's face. "Your Majesty, it's great to see you again!"

"Hello, Dr. Murdock," Relena said tersely. "So, where are you going after his release is finalized?"

"Lena, I'll call you back and let you know," Duo said as Wufei started to snarl in his mind. "Give me like ten minutes, kay?"

"Alright, but I have something very important to tell you, so don't forget!"

"I won't." He waved goodbye as Wufei stabbed the 'end call' button and turned to face the other interruption. "So, Doc, what's up?"

"Have you signed all the papers yet?" His smile was expectant but dropped as he noticed that said papers were strewn all over the floor. "Something you didn't like?"

"Yeah, what's up with this 'restricted diet' crap?"

"Mr. Maxwell, you've spent the last two months in a coma. Your system needs to adjust to solid foods again. Anything heavy or too rich will make you very ill." He looked at his charts again. "I have your primary care physician listed as a Sally Po. You should get in touch with Doctor Po and she can make any changes after your release."

"Not bloody likely," Duo snarled. "She's just going to want to stick me with pointy things for taking up her precious time." Wufei barked out a couple of laughs while muttering about sadistic women.

The doctor cleared his throat uncomfortably. "As well as starting the physical therapy, I am ordering you to set up an examination in one week's time with Doctor Po." He made a few notes in his PDA before looking sternly at his patient. "Mr. Maxwell, you're a horrible patient, but I sincerely wish that you recuperate fully. The only way that is going to happen is if you comply with my orders." He sighed as he picked up a few of the papers at his feet. "Few patients are ready to be released a week after they've woken up from a coma. Please take that to heart and just listen to me."

"I will make sure that he does as ordered," Wufei said. Duo knew that his tone of voice meant that no amount of pleading, begging, cajoling, or running would get him out of doing exactly what the doctor was saying.

"Fine," he said with a huffy sigh. "I'll do as ordered." He picked up the sheets around him and quickly scrawled his name at the bottom. He handed them to his physician and was given a sheet in return that looked like an order for the physical therapy. "What do I do with this?"

"Set up the appointment to begin treatment with a facility on L2, or wherever you plan on staying, and give a copy to Doctor Po's office." He glanced at the gaudy gold Rolex on his wrist. 'I have an hour before tee time.' "If you need anything else, please contact your primary physician."

The door shut and Duo snarled. "I hate that guy!"

"Why? Because he told you that you're a horrible patient? Which is true, by the way," Wufei asked with obvious amusement.

"No," Duo said, turning on his friend. "Because every time he's in here, he's thinking about his damn golf game! I don't give a fuck about his handicap of five!" Wufei's eyes slanted as he looked at Duo carefully, but he didn't say anything about what Duo'd blurted out.

"Duo, I don't live here in London," he said calmly. "I live in Paris, near the Preventers main office." He cleared his throat and looked at the room's other occupant. "Actually, that's where Sally is right now as well."

"Oh…" Duo thought that over carefully. "I guess I just assumed that… you'd…"

"What? That I would bring you to a hospital in the city I lived?" Wufei sat down in the visitor's chair. "Normally, I suppose I would have, except Sally recommended the neurosurgeons at this hospital in London. Do you honestly think I would be staying at hotel if I lived here?"

"I guess I never thought about it before now, but that wouldn't make sense." Duo began searching for his brush to finish braiding his hair, which was now a large rat's nest. "So, um, where are we going then?"

"It would take a few hours to take you back to Paris by train, which is probably the smartest thing right now this time of the day, and then it's an hour by car from the station to my house. On the other hand, the hotel's only a thirty minute drive." 'And if you don't want to stay in Winner's suite, I can get you your own room for the night.'

"I'd like that," Duo blurted out before he blushed. "Um, but can I get my own room? I don't really want to bunk down with the others right now."

"That's possible," the Chinese man answered. "I'll pack your things. Call back Relena and let her know."


	7. Would You Believe I Forgot?

**Title:** The Matchmaker 7/?  
**Author: **Makoto Sagara  
**Series:** Gundam Wing  
**Archive:** , /makotosagara/, , , .com; anywhere else, please ask first.  
**Category**: Supernatural, Angst, Romance, Sap

**Pairings:** Eventual 2x5x2, 3x4x3, and 1xRx1  
**Rating:** T  
**Warnings:** Shonen ai, language, angst, sap, het, supernatural dealings  
**Disclaimers:** Yeah, like I own Gundam Wing. (Goes off to cry, but not before turning out pockets) I am poor as well. Flames will be used to amuse my muses. They are easily entertained, but highly obnoxious.

**A/N: **Yay! Another chapter is such a short amount of time. I'm on a roll. Oh, and I started the sequel to Gundam Diaries, finally! And before anyone else asks, yes, I am trying to get back to working on Star Trek: Gundam with Jo-chan, but she's dragging her feet. *sigh*

**Chapter Seven: Would You Believe I Forgot?**

Wufei stepped outside of the braided man's hospital room to allow privacy for the conversation with Relena. While he was out there, he took his cellphone from his pocket and dialed Lady Une's office in Paris. "Une, Chang here."

"Well, Agent Chang, it's nice to finally hear from you," she answered drily, but he could tell that she was annoyed. "I take it that Mr. Maxwell is doing well? I can only assume that's the case since I haven't heard from you since you left the office, under the threat of resignation or my immediate demise, seven and a half weeks ago."

"I apologize, Lady Une," he said, feeling embarrassed for his lack of communication in the matter. "The situation was a lot worse than I feared at the time and… Would you believe I forgot after he woke up?"

"I'm inclined to believe that, Agent Chang." She sounded as if she was smiling and he breathed easier. "How is he, really?"

"He's being released today. I'm going to bring him back to Paris in the next few days. Evidently Sally is his primary physician and he has to check in with her before he can start physical therapy."

"Well, I'll let Major Po know that she should expect a visit from him soon." He could hear a few papers ruffling in the background. "I also have a message from Agents Noin and Marquise. They said that they can't find a record of any other accidents like that of Maxwell's on any of the colonies, Mars, Earth or the Lunar Base. They say the records they have come from only L2, and they center on the area near Maxwell's house, scrapyard and the orphanage he frequented.

"And before you begin to charge in to start your own investigation to the area, I've already assigned Jackson and Harker from the L2 office to check it out." Wufei could feel the side of his mouth twitch upwards into a smile. "So, when will you be returning to the office, Agent?"

"Maxwell isn't completely mobile yet. The doctor has recommended that he use a cane or crutches for a while, but Sally will need to make the final call on that, I guess." He thought things over for a minute. "I'll stop by when I bring him in for his appointment with Sally. Who knows, he might like to see you."

"God forbid," she replied. "Well, let me know when you arrive in Paris. Oh, and enjoy the rest of your extended vacation. I'm sure that Veronica and Roth have been saving the fun missions for you, Yuy and Barton."

"Thanks," he said drily. 'Going back to work isn't going to be fun.' He could hear Duo saying goodbye to Relena on the vidphone and call for him. "I will contact you when we reach France. I have to go." He hung up without any sort of farewell, but he doubted she cared. He didn't.

Duo looked up and smiled as Wufei reentered his room. He looked somewhere between excited and annoyed, and something about his expression made him seem younger than his eighteen years. "Guess what I just found out."

"What?"

"No, you're supposed to guess, 'Fei!"

"I think this line of reasoning is that of a five year old's…" 'But I'll humor you.' "You've won the lottery?"

"Nope, but close – Relena won."

"Somehow, I doubt that." Wufei checked around the room to make sure that all of Duo's belongings were gathered. "What really happened?"

"Heero asked her to dinner tonight." Duo waited patiently for that one statement to register in his friend's mind and smiled.

'He what? What the hell prompted that?'

"Apparently, they were about to call each other and he just blurted it out." Wufei leveled calculating eyes at the American before he did anything else.

'Something's not right here. I know the neurosurgeon said that the scans showed no signs of damage, but since he woke up from the coma it's almost as if…'

The braided man kept the goofy smile on his face, covering up the fact that he was terrified that if Wufei put two and two together and came up with crazy, he'd run for the hills. "Something wrong, 'Fei?"

The Chinese man shook his head and stared carefully at the other. "You're not properly dressed, Maxwell. How did you hope to leave in those clothes?"

"Um, I don't have any others," he said, realizing the truth of the statement after he'd said it. "I mean, I was dressed in a Santa suit back on L2, but I doubt anyone held onto that, and seeing how it's February now, it would be pretty out of place."

"Oh, I don't know. I'd think the nurses would think Christmas came early now that you're leaving."

"Harsh, man, harsh…"

"Hm, it seems that that's something both Winner and I overlooked while we were here." His phone rang before he could think any further. "Chang here." He paused, looking stunned for a moment. "Peacecraft, to what do I owe the pleasure?" Pause. "Yes, that's correct. I'm taking him to Paris in a few days." Scoff, choke on his tongue. "NO! What gave you – Never mind. Yes, I was thinking of doing that." Pause, longer this time. "That would be much appreciated. Oh, yes, his sizes? Medium shirt, 30x34 pants, size thirteen shoes… Yes, size thirteen… WHY WOULD I KNOW THAT?" Blush, very red. "I'm hanging up now. No. Goodbye." He clapped his phone shut, face beet red, much to Duo's amusement.

While Wufei's face, ears and neck were red in embarrassment, his brain was FUMING in a dialect of Chinese that Duo had no clue how to translate. But, Duo didn't have to read minds to figure out the gist of the conversation with their female friend. If it hadn't been so damn funny, he might have been mortified himself. 'God, she's playing with fire here.' "So, what did Relena want and why were you giving her my sizes?"

"That…. That… That WOMAN," Duo snickered at his outrage, "realized that I hadn't a house here in England and has gotten a room for you at the hotel with the rest of us. She also thought about the fact that you didn't have clothes since waking up."

"So, we thank her before you kill her?"

"Acceptable," Wufei muttered. "I have to go get the car and bring it around and I think a nurse will bring you a wheelchair. Will you be okay by yourself?" Duo fixed him with a look of utter disdain instead of answering. "Right, I'll be back."

Duo quickly reached over to the phone and dialed Relena's private cell phone. "Are you trying to get yourself killed, Lena?" he asked as soon as she answered.

"Not really, but what's the point of having him around if I can't tease him a bit?" She sounded amused as hell, but it was irking him.

"Do me a favor, Lena, and don't do that again. I thought he was going to have an aneurysm and I'm not really in the best shape to help him if he does…"

"Sorry, I hadn't thought of that. Now, I really must go. I have to reserve a room for you and Lover Boy there and then get some clothes for you."

"I hate you," Duo grumped.

"No, no, remember, you love me so much it makes Heero *and* Wufei insane."

"Right now, not so much…"

"Oh, I forgot to ask Wufei before. Boxers or briefs?" She was having *way* too much fun with this, in his opinion.

"Boxers."

Quatre couldn't breathe. Trowa wasn't allowing him. They were currently locked in the room of the suite that the taller man shared with Wufei, since Heero was in the other bedroom. And, try as he might deny it, he was reveling in every second. Certainly, he'd been surprised when the other man had dragged him, bodily, from the hotel's restaurant up to the suite without a word. But, when they'd made their way to the suite and into the other bedroom, Quatre had *tried* to put up some resistance. Probably not as much as he could have, but he did try!

Allah forgive him, but as soon as the door was locked, Trowa's mouth was on his, body pressed against him so he couldn't move. And he'd reacted out of instinct by kissing him back like he was drowning and Trowa was the only way to save his life. He didn't object when calloused hands somehow made their way up his bare back. In fact, he couldn't remember how his shirt was removed, or how Trowa somehow had lost his own shirt. All he could think of was the fact that there was one less barrier between their bodies.

It wasn't until the outside door slammed shut that they even remembered that Heero had been there at all. Quatre blushed and leaned against Trowa's broad shoulder. He took a moment until his breathing was normal and then stepped back. "We… we can't…"

"Yes, we can," Trowa growled possessively, pulling the blond back into a searing kiss.

Heero looked up as he heard the outside door of the suite open and shut. Getting up, he looked out, only to see Trowa dragging Quatre towards his room and then slam shut the door. 'It's about time,' he thought before leaving the suite. He still had to buy some clothes fit for dinner out with Relena.

Wufei drove carefully through the crowded London streets, muttering under his breath about useless, wastes of flesh as some idiot in a Mini cut them off and Duo was thrown into his door as Wufei swerved to avoid crashing. Occasionally, he'd sneak a peek to his left (since England still persisted in making everyone drive opposite the rest of the Earth Sphere) to check on Duo, who was happily checking out the streets and people of the crowded Earth city. His companion was silent and it appeared as if he was excited about his release from the hospital, but there was something that was bothering him. To be honest, something was still bugging Wufei, and he didn't think he'd be happy until they talked it all over. 'How do I say this? It's really bothering me, and he's just sitting there, oblivious to everything around him.'

He could feel the other's eyes on him as he pulled around Kensington Square in front of Buckingham Palace. After several agonizing minutes of the silent staring, Wufei turned his head completely to look at the American. "Is there something wrong, Duo?"

"Not really," he said quietly. "Is there something wrong with you?"

"You've been acting differently since you woke up," Wufei said after the bleating of someone's horn died down.

"I guess nearly dying made me think about a few things differently."

'I don't like the way he said that.' "Such as?"

"Can we talk about this later, 'Fei? I'm tired. All I want to do is get to the hotel room and take a nap."

"Of course," he replied, watching as Duo closed his eyes and leaned his head against the window. The rest of the twenty minute drive was silent, and Wufei was glad when they arrived so that his companion would at least show some signs of life again. He grabbed the bag with Duo's books and the few other gifts he'd received in one hand and walked around to the passenger side of the car, intent on helping his friend.

The American put up no resistance as Wufei wrapped Duo's left arm around his neck and lifted him from the car. The going was slow as Duo tried to adjust to the awkward angle that Wufei's assistance put him in, stretching muscles he hadn't used in a very long time. "Not too fast, 'Fei," he said through clenched teeth as they headed towards the hotel's doors.

They'd managed to make it to the lobby before someone stopped them. Luckily, it was Relena, *with* Heero standing guard behind her. "Do you need help there?" she asked, moving to take the bag from Wufei.

"Thank you, Peacecraft," he bit out, leveling a glare at her and making her blush brightly. Duo laughed at the confused look on Heero's face before he was swept up into Wufei's arms and carried across the lobby. "Whose name is it under?"

"Yours," she answered, looking at Heero. "We can go after they're settled in, right?"

"Of course," the Japanese man replied slowly, definitely missing something before he remembered the situation in their suite. "Oh, Chang, don't go back to the suite tonight."

"Why not?" Wufei said, setting Duo down so he could handle the check-in process.

"You don't want to know!" the American answered, his ears red. Relena blinked a few times before blushing herself.

"Well, okay, that's my cue to leave," she replied, setting down Duo's bag and backing away. "That tells me everything I didn't want to know." She walked away, muttering under her breath with Heero close behind.

Duo snickered as his two friends left. 'Well, she won't be asking personal questions again for a while.' He turned to watch as Wufei scrawled his name to the slip of paper the man behind the desk had handed him. 'I wonder how long it's going to be before he starts asking me about things again.' He stifled a yawn and leaned on his friend's shoulder, trying to ignore the looks they were attracting and the thoughts from the other people in the lobby. He knew he looked like shit. 'I'd like to see you after spending so long in the hospital, jerks!'

"Have my laundry sent to this room, instead of Winner's suite, if you would," Wufei said, snapping Duo out of his reverie.

"Of course, Mr. Chang," the concierge said, his fingers flying over the computer's keyboard in a way to make even Heero jealous. "We also sent up a delivery from Ms. Peacecraft to the room. It was addressed to yourself and a Mr. Maxwell. I hope that doesn't present a problem."

'Only because you are holding up me taking Duo upstairs so he can sleep,' Wufei thought with a snarl that didn't show on his otherwise steely face. "None, thank you."

Duo let out a little squeak of surprise as Wufei wrapped an arm around his waist and picked up the bag Relena had deserted before slowly herding him towards the elevator. The ride up to the floor was quiet and quick. When the doors slid open, Wufei picked Duo up completely and headed out. "Wufei, put me down!"

"This is faster and would be safer if you'd stop struggling."

"I can walk on my own!" Duo tried to squirm out of the other man's grasp, but found that the hold was too tight and that he didn't have enough strength to keep it up. "Fine, but you are putting me down the *moment* we reach the room," he said with an air of defeat.

Wufei did as he requested, placing him gently on his own feet when they reached the door to their room, mostly so that he could open the door without dropping the other boy. But, as soon as the door was open, he propped it open with Duo's bag of belongings and was back at his side to help him enter.

It was a large and beautiful suite, with only one door leading off the room's sitting area. The furniture was tastefully done in navy blue and Redwood accents and looked much more comfortable than anything that Duo had seen in over a week. "Oh, 'Fei, I wanna sit down, please."

"Alright," his friend replied, his thoughts only a low buzz as Duo's exhaustion threatened to make him fall asleep in the cushy chair Wufei helped him into. "I'm going to take a look around the room. If you need anything, yell."

"'Kay," Duo mumbled, closing his eyes and resting his head on the back of the chair. He could hear Wufei move around and was reassured by the slow mental conversation the other man seemed to be having with himself in Cantonese. It wasn't until Wufei reached the bedroom that anything stuck out.

'A king sized bed… I'm going to kill her!' Those words were enough to shock Duo awake and swearing.

TBC


	8. If It Kills Me

**Title:** The Matchmaker 8/?  
**Author: **Makoto Sagara  
**Series:** Gundam Wing  
**Archive:** , /makotosagara/, , , .com; anywhere else, please ask first.  
**Category**: Supernatural, Angst, Romance, Sap

**Pairings:** Eventual 2x5x2, 3x4x3, and 1xRx1  
**Rating:** T  
**Warnings:** Shonen ai, language, angst, sap, het, supernatural dealings  
**Disclaimers:** Yeah, like I own Gundam Wing. (Goes off to cry, but not before turning out pockets) I am poor as well. Flames will be used to amuse my muses. They are easily entertained, but highly obnoxious.

**A/N:** I got suckered into a 1x2 plot bunny, so I was scared that I'd have trouble working on my fun pairing, but it seems to not be a problem. There was a point where the end of chapter 7 nearly made me want to cry b/c it was difficult to get the words out, but the muses finally relented! Enjoy my tears!

**Chapter Eight – If It Kills Me**

Quatre pulled away again from Trowa, his face flushed and lips kiss-bruised. "I can't," he whispered. He turned watery aqua eyes to the other man. "I just can't!"

Trowa, feeling frustrated, nodded in understanding and smothered the impulse to resume kissing the smaller man. "I won't force you, Quatre."

"Thank you." The blond began searching for his shirt, carefully avoiding looking at the bare, muscled chest and stomach that he _very_ much wanted to kiss, suck and lick. Quickly, he redressed, feeling more in control now that there was a tangible barrier between the two of them. Sadly, he knew that the bulge in his khakis was obvious to the other man. "W- Why?"

Trowa smiled through his bangs and sat down on his bed. "Why what?" When Quatre didn't answer, he blew at his hair and took a deep breath, the words forming in his mind slowly. "When you asked me at lunch about talking to Duo, I assume that you know what it was concerning?" The blond nodded, moving carefully to sit on the other bed. "Then you know why."

Quatre swallowed, his chest constricting as Trowa's words hit him full in the face. "No…"

"You *know* why I did it, Quatre. You, more than anyone besides Duo, understand the way that I feel," Trowa growled as the Arab shook his head in denial. "Lie to yourself, if you want, but I can't."

Quatre sat still, his mind fighting with Trowa's statement and still shaking his head. He looked up as the door opened and the taller pilot stepped out, shirt in hand. "What are you doing?"

"I'm going for a long walk. When you figure it out, you know where to find me." The door slammed shut, making the blond wince before he lowered his head in his hands.

Duo stumbled into the bedroom as quickly as his protesting right leg would let him. He growled as he saw the king-sized bed that had caused Wufei so much trouble. "What the fuck?"

The Chinese man turned to face his friend. What he was going to say died on his tongue as Duo's eyes flashed dangerously. 'He is either going to kill Relena or…' He blushed, turning his head to stare out the window. 'Why is it when he's close I can think of nothing but kissing him?'

Wufei's thoughts were enough to break through Duo's anger. 'He still wants to… kiss me?' He backed against the wall. 'Oh shit…'

"There is no way that we can stay in the same bed. I will call the front desk to see about getting a different room." Wufei made for the sitting room of the suite, his hand brushing against Duo and sending an electric shock through both men.

Duo could feel his heart rate quicken and his blood pump to places he'd rather it not at that slight touch. But, the pain of his long unused limbs forced him to sit down on the room's lone bed and breathe deeply. 'Can't touch 'Fei. Can't touch 'Fei. Want to touch… Can't… Oh. My. God. I'm screwed! So screwed.'

"Yes, I would like to know if you have another room available," Wufei said tersely. "I require a double, not a king." 'I will not maim Peacecraft. I will not…' "What do you mean you don't have any other rooms available?" Pause and a mental growl that sent shivers up Duo's back. "A medical conference?" He growled again mentally and Duo whimpered quietly. "No, that is all."

Duo looked up to see his friend standing in the doorway, scowling. "So, no new room?" he asked after clearing his voice, but not really able to control it.

"No, evidently, we are stuck in this room, and I am pretty sure that killing Relena Peacecraft might be worth having to fight Yuy once again."

The American fought the urge to snicker and lay down on the bed, on his side away from Wufei. "Well, I mean, I guess I don't mind it," he said quietly.

'What is he talking about? There is only one…' Wufei blushed and turned around to look out the window again. "I can sleep out on the couch in the sitting room."

"That's stupid," Duo shouted, sitting up quickly and then wishing he hadn't as the blood rushed to his head. "That 'couch' out there is a glorified loveseat that wouldn't even fit a five year old." He took a deep breath. 'Now or never, Duo.' "Besides, this is a large bed and I'm sure that…" He stopped as his face flushed. "What if… I fall trying to get to the bathroom or something?"

Relena looked across the table at her dinner companion and had to suppress the urge to sigh. Heero was _nervous_, which in and of itself was odd to witness, and the only thing that gave him away was the way his eyes refused to meet her own. When she'd accepted the dinner invitation that _he_ offered, this wasn't the way she'd imagined the evening going. In her mind, they would have a fabulous meal with stimulating conversation, and probably end with a sweet kiss. Now, she was revising it to just a great meal and no talking.

"Heero, is this what you had planned for our evening?" She waved her hand limply at their table.

"Not entirely," he said quietly.

"Then what?" Again, she tried not to sigh, this time in complete exasperation. "Did you not write yourself a mission plan?" She quirked her lips up in a brief smile. It turned into a fit of giggles as he finally looked up, a flash of panic crossing his dark blue eyes. "You did?"

"What has Duo said to you lately?" Heero said, a slight spot of pink showing on both of the man's cheeks.

"Many things, Heero," she answered, getting her giggles under control. She cocked her head briefly as she tried to figure out what he was really saying. "Duo and I have talked nearly every day since he's woken up."

"Did… did he tell you anything?" Oh, yes, he was very uncomfortable now, but Relena wasn't going to let him out of this hole he was digging himself.

"I'm not sure what you're asking me, Heero. As I said, Duo and I have talked extensively since he woke up from his coma. You _will_ have to be a little more specific." She sat and waited for a reaction from the man across the table from her, but several moments passed in awkward silence. "If you have something you wish to say to me, I would appreciate it if you would just tell me." She huffed out a breath and ran a hand through her bangs.

"Did Duo tell you how… how I feel about…?"

"How you feel about what?" Her heart beat was faster, but her temper was starting to flare at his lack of courage. Heero Yuy, pilot of Gundams Wing and Wing Zero, man who had fought for her and peace, was actually _afraid_ to express himself. And it pissed her off. "Just say it!"

"Ryokai," he said, sitting up straighter and taking a deep breath. "I l-love you!"

Well, that wasn't what she'd been expecting.

Trowa paced back and forth in the small park across from the hotel, his mind playing back both lunch and the later scene in the hotel room with Quatre. In truth, his mind was remembering the feel and taste of Quatre's mouth and lips and the sounds he'd made while Trowa had him pinned against the door, kissing him for all he was worth.

How long had he wanted to do that? Two years? Since that first moment he'd stepped out of Heavyarms' cockpit to find that his 'opponent' was a boy his own age and gorgeous? Since the first time they'd been together and Quatre had drawn a pink lip between his teeth as he thought and plotted? Since he'd found out that he was just as damaged as the rest of them? It didn't matter. He'd wanted it for a very long time and now he'd done it.

Except, now, things would be awkward with his friend.

Perhaps he should rejoin Cathy and the circus troupe. But, he didn't want to do that. Suddenly, the lions weren't enough for him. In fact, he wanted to be back up in the hotel room, the blond man in his arms and mewling under him.

He had no idea how long his circular thinking lasted. It was only interrupted by the sound of footsteps that had him instantly on his guard. His hand drifted to the concealed pistol in his jacket pocket and his stance became defensive.

"Trowa?" Quatre's voice instantly had him relaxed, but his heart was still racing. Then, the other man was standing in his line of sight, and his hand itched to grab for him.

"Yes?" he hissed through clenched teeth. The blond took him by surprise by walking up to him, pulling his face down and placing a gentle kiss on his lips. He was too shocked to react for many seconds after the other man touched him. "Quatre?"

"Just… go slow with me," the shorter man whispered before kissing Trowa again gently.

Wufei blinked as he tried to process what it was the American was actually saying. He took a few cleansing, deep breaths and gathered his thoughts. 'He wants me to stay. In here. With him. With only one bed. Besides, there is the fact that he returned my kiss earlier…' He could feel his ears begin to burn at the memory, but he cleared this throat. "You win." Black eyes locked onto purple. "However, there a few things we need to talk about."

Duo nodded mutely as he lowered his eyes, his braid jumping awkwardly as his head moved. "I know." Wufei could see him swallow a few times before one slender, pale hand wrapped around the end of his hair and tugging nervously. "I- I-"

'He's speechless? I think that is a first.' Wufei let out a breath he hadn't known he'd been holding as he took in Duo's reaction. "Maxwell… Duo…" He carefully took a seat next to the other man. 'How the world am I supposed to say this to him?' "Duo, I feel like I'm forcing you to come back to Paris with me."

Amethyst eyes, wide with disbelief, looked up at him. "No. You're not, 'Fei. I want…" His face scrunched up in thought before he continued. "I want to go with you. To Paris."

The Chinese man nodded, keeping his breathing remarkably even under the scrutiny of his friend's eyes. 'Okay, now that that is out of the way…' "Then, I don't want you to think that I… expect anything."

Duo surprised him by laughing harshly. It sounded as if the sound was strangled out of his throat. "'Fei, you're not like that," he choked out. One lip was drawn between his teeth in thought and Wufei could feel his eyes riveted to the sight, thoughts moving to how it would feel to kiss that lip, run his hands over the planes of Duo's naked body, hear his sounds as he worshipped the beautiful man next to him. "Oh," Duo squeaked, his breathing coming in rapid, short gasps.

Wufei unconsciously licked his lips as he continued to stare at the other man, his mind short-circuiting in a haze of lust and desire. His hands itched to take Duo's hair out of its braid, to breathe in his scent, to bury his face in the shining locks, and to just _touch_ him. Luckily, he was able to keep them clenched in fists between his knees, but he was finding it more difficult to control them the longer he sat on the bed. 'He is so beautiful.'

Duo blinked slowly, his breathing becoming deep as his eyelids slid shut. And then, his heart-shaped lips parted and he spoke. "Kiss me."


	9. Is the Kiss Worth the Kiss?

**Title:** The Matchmaker 9/?  
**Author: **Makoto Sagara  
**Series:** Gundam Wing  
**Archive:** , /makotosagara/, , , .com; anywhere else, please ask first.  
**Category**: Supernatural, Angst, Romance, Sap

**Pairings:** Eventual 2x5x2, 3x4x3, and 1xRx1  
**Rating:** T  
**Warnings:** Shonen ai, language, angst, sap, het, supernatural dealings  
**Disclaimers:** Yeah, like I own Gundam Wing. (Goes off to cry, but not before turning out pockets) I am poor as well. Flames will be used to amuse my muses. They are easily entertained, but highly obnoxious.

**A/N:** Omg, not only did I get sucked into a 1x2 bunny, but I got possessed by this absolutely LOVELY HP Harry/Draco fic. Omg, it is so, so, so worth the read and distraction. I was riveted, much like Wufei last chapter! Ask me if you want to know the name. Anyway, last chapter was fun, right? Hehe!

**Chapter Nine – Is the Kiss Worth the Kiss?**

Wufei blinked as he stared at the man sitting next to him, trying to process what he'd said. 'He just asked me to kiss him. What should I do?'

"If you don't kiss me, I'm making you sleep out on that couch, Wufei," the American practically purred as he tilted his head, eyes still closed. "I'm giving you until the count of three. One. Two. Thr-"

Wufei leaned over and kissed Duo before he could finish the last word, his blood pounding in his ears. He let out a moan that would have embarrassed him if he wasn't so aroused while the other man wrapped long, lean arms around his neck and scooted closer to him. Slowly, he unclenched his hands and put them on Duo's slim hips, pulling him practically into his own lap. He breathed deeply through his nose as he ran his tongue across the other's soft lips, which opened almost automatically, eliciting a groan from both men that was muffled by each other's mouth.

Distractedly, he could feel Duo's nimble fingers as they pulled on his ponytail, letting his soft hair fall around his face, and then began to grab, twist, and bunch sections possessively. 'Ancestors, who knew that he could kiss like this,' he thought vaguely, the last bit of rationality leaving as Duo carefully swung one leg over his lap and straddled his legs.

The moment that their clothed erections brushed against each other, Wufei flipped over the other man without breaking the kiss, his hands moving to the bottom of the American's shirt, determined to divest them both of their clothing as soon as possible. He froze as Duo hissed in pain, pulling away as if burned and looked his friend over to make sure that there was no damage done. "Duo?"

"I'm okay, 'Fei," the other said, pain lacing his words as he panted to gain his breath back. "I just jarred my leg against the end of the bed."

Nodding, Wufei pulled back. "I'll get you your medication, in that case," he said, trying to bury the guilt he felt at pushing the situation while Duo was in no condition to do anything strenuous. "I'll have dinner sent up as well."

"Mkay," Duo responded as he pulled his body so that he rested with his back against the bed's headboard. Wufei watched him carefully, his emotions conflicting as he did so. His blood still raged with desire for the American, while guilt and anger at himself for pushing so much so quickly burned just as intensely.

While it was obvious that there was something between the two of them, there were also too many unanswered questions and things that had to be addressed before they went any further. No matter what his rebellious body wanted, Wufei was bound to treat this as reasonably as possible. A romantic relationship with Duo was secondary to the fact that they were friends and had been for years now. There was entirely too much at risk to jump into anything blindly.

However, he supposed any questioning that needed to be answered could wait until the next day. But then, he would have answers, and there was nowhere for Duo to run to now.

Relena blinked a few more times, her face unreadable, and Heero could feel his face flushing in the aftermath of his confession. This hadn't exactly been how he'd wanted to tell her, but… Now, he couldn't take it back. And he really didn't want to either. However, her silence and non-action was beginning to make him regret just blurting his declaration out. 'I wish Duo was here to tell me that I'm being an idiot.'

"R-really, Heero, that's not funny," Relena stammered, reaching for her wine glass. "In fact, in light of everything we've done, that's quite cruel."

"I meant it," Heero snarled, repressing the urge to drag her out of the restaurant.

The woman who he'd known for so long just stared at him, an unreadable expression in her blue eyes as she took a large sip of the alcohol. "Then, might I ask why you felt the need to blurt it out like that?"

"I-" He growled quietly as his thoughts died in his throat. "It is difficult for me to… talk about… feelings," he finally said.

"Hm, yes, I know that, but that was rather abrupt," she replied calmly.

'What in the world does she want from me?' he thought. "How should I have gone about it then?"

A shy smile ghosted across her lips. "I suppose that the way you did it is perfect for you. However, a girl does like to be wooed."

He snorted at those words. "Wooing is something that I have no basis for."

"I'm aware of that, Heero."

The waitress appeared and placed their food in front of them, cutting off their conversation for a few moments. The Japanese man stared at the plate of food, wishing he knew what to do. He could feel his face shut down all expressions the longer they sat there in silence, picking at their respective dinners.

"How did you manage to convince the Council to give you so much time off?" Heero asked after their dinner plates were taken away. "Before I left, they were barely letting you go home every night."

Relena laughed softly at his comment, her discomfort obvious. "Well, I did explain that I needed my bodyguard back and that if they didn't let me 'retrieve' you, I'd retire."

"Retired at eighteen then?" He could feel his mouth quirking up into a small smile.

"Yes, it does have a nice ring to it," she said wistfully. "However, the vultures were nice enough to let me have my way so that I wouldn't abandon them to actually doing work for a change. Besides, I really _do_ need you to protect me."

Heero snapped his head up to stare directly into the woman's eyes and she blushed furiously. "For how long?"

Two men stood in a darkened room, with only the lamplight from the one, high window in the room adding any illumination.

"What do you mean that you failed to get him while he was in the hospital? I practically gift-wrapped him for you!" The first shrieked in a high voice.

"02 seems to be wilier than he was given credit for, even during the war," the second said apologetically. "And the other Gundam pilots are constantly around him. Not to mention that Vice-Foreign Minister Peacecraft visits nearly every day."

"What do you plan on doing about this?"

"He has been released from the hospital. 05 has taken him to the hotel where the others are staying, and then plans to take him to Paris so that he can be seen by Major Po of the Preventers."

"We told the client that we would have him taken care of by the Spring Equinox. That is three weeks away. You have two to do so. I expect you to finish your task, or I will finish you and send someone else in. Understood?"

"Yes, Boss."

"Good, get out of my face."

TBC


	10. Come Clean

**Title:** The Matchmaker 10/15?  
**Author: **Makoto Sagara  
**Series:** Gundam Wing  
**Archive:** , /makotosagara/, , , .com; anywhere else, please ask first.  
**Category**: Supernatural, Angst, Romance, Sap

**Pairings:** Eventual 2x5x2, 3x4x3, and 1xRx1  
**Rating:** T  
**Warnings:** Shonen ai, language, angst, sap, het, supernatural dealings  
**Disclaimers:** Yeah, like I own Gundam Wing. (Goes off to cry, but not before turning out pockets) I am poor as well. Flames will be used to amuse my muses. They are easily entertained, but highly obnoxious.

**A/N:** So, um, yeah, sorry that it's taken me soooooooooooooooooooooooo long to get these last few chapters out. I got *sucked* into a new writing fandom, and, um, it was fun? *whistles innocently* Please don't kill me? I'll try to update more often, I promise! *runs to hide in a corner* …And the good news is that I think this fic will be about fifteen chapters, so we're two-thirds of the way done!

**Chapter Ten – Come Clean**

Duo moaned as sunlight, bright and obnoxious, spilled across his face. Carefully, he stretched and then went completely stiff as his hands caressed a warm body before they were seized harshly. 'Okay, I'm in a bed, not the hospital or my bed on L2. And there's someone, a really strong someone who's in it with me.' Slowly, he cracked one violet eye and nearly crowed in joy when he saw golden skin and silky, black hair lying next to him. 'It's 'Fei. God, if this is a dream, please let me stay here, for just a little. I promise to be good if you do!'

"Stop moving, Maxwell," his bedmate grumbled before releasing his hands.

"No can do, 'Fei," he whispered, not trusting his voice to go any higher. "Nature calls."

"And I suppose you require assistance," Wufei asked tersely as he sat up, rubbing harshly at his sleepy black eyes.

"Please?" he asked, sticking his pride in his back pocket in hopes of having the other man touch him. Then, what happened between them the day before flashed in his mind and he flushed heavily.

His friend stared at him before getting up and wrapping an arm around his middle. Carefully, Wufei hauled Duo up off the king-sized bed and walked him over to the bathroom door, avoiding jostling Duo's sore leg more than was absolutely necessary. 'He's so warm. No wonder I slept so heavily. It's been a long time since I've been _that_ warm while I slept.'

Duo's blush became even more noticeable as Wufei's thoughts trickled into his head, but he remained quiet. However, the Chinese man's next thought turned his complexion extremely pale.

'I'll need to contact Zechs and Noin about those other incidents, and then Duo and I are going to discuss what's going on. Too many strange things have happened since he woke up, and I don't like this.'

Feeling as if he'd been smacked, Duo shrank away from his friend, shutting the door in his face, trying to keep himself from having a panic attack. 'I knew this was coming. No reason to freak out, Duo, you knew he was going to want to know what's going on.'

Gathering his courage, Duo quickly relieved himself and washed his hands. He briefly looked at his reflection in the mirror and grimaced. 'Well, I don't look like Death warmed over any more, but I'm not sure why the hell 'Fei nearly jumped me last night.' Bright, pink spots bloomed on his cheeks and he shrugged nonchalantly. 'Who cares? 'Fei is attracted to me! Yes!'

Slowly, he limped over to the door and opened it, only to find Wufei on his cellphone, speaking quickly and quietly. A few words drifted over to where Duo stood in the doorway, but nothing concrete. However, Wufei's thoughts were loud and clear.

'Too zaizi, there were a rash of accidents on L2 right before Duo was hit, all in his neighborhood, but nothing suspicious on any of the other colonies or Earth. So, it was probably meant for him.' Wufei gave a mental growl that sent delighted shivers up and down Duo's spine. 'When I find out who these faceless, useless bastards are, they are going to wish their ancestors aborted their lines long before conception.'

'Whoa!' Duo thought, blinking rapidly. 'I wasn't aware that 'Fei was that vicious… Nothing like this happened during the…' He paused as he processed what he'd heard. 'Great, so, someone was trying to kill me. As if I didn't have enough of that before we had 'peace'. I swear to God that I'm changing my name now. Then, I might be able to not deal with psychos.' He snorted mentally. 'Okay, so any more than normal.'

"And you're one hundred percent about this, Marquise?" Wufei growled into his phone. "Thank you. Yes, I've talked to both Une and Po. They understand the situation, and I'm fairly positive that they'll deal with the consequences once I get back to headquarters. Yes, he's doing as well as can be expected. No, I don't know what your sister and Yuy are doing. No. Ask Winner. Yes, thank you again. I'll let him know." He hung up so abruptly that Duo had to smile. Wufei didn't use the word 'goodbye'. In fact, Duo was pretty sure that they didn't exist in his vocabulary.

"So, how are Sexy Zechsy and the Lovely Lu?" Duo asked when the Chinese man had put his cellphone down on the bedside table. A flash of what could only be jealousy crossed Wufei's face before he answered.

"They are fine. Noin says hello and to stay out of trouble."

"I don't gotta look for it. It finds me," Duo said flippantly as he hobbled his way back to the bed. His leg was really starting to hurt again and he could feel a headache building behind his eyes. "So, what was that all about?"

"I had them check for anything around the time of your accident to see if there was something suspicious."

"And, let me guess, there is."

"Yes, the week before your accident, there were seven other incidents in your neighborhood."

"'Fei, I live on L2. There's always something fishy going on around me."

"Yes, well, how many accidents are because of delivery vans?"

"In a week?" Duo thought about it, and realized where it was going. "Maybe one every two months, I'd say. I don't really keep track, but they aren't that common on the colonies."

"Close," Wufei said, sitting down next to the American on the bed and clenching his fists. "There is roughly one incident involving a delivery van or truck once every three months on each colony, since they are going out of usage. It's more on Earth, but that's to be expected since there are a lot more vehicles there."

"Okay, so, you're saying that someone deliberately hit me and had seven test runs before they got it right?"

"It appears that way, yes."'

"Any clues as to who's behind it? Any witnesses?"

"The police haven't found anything." Duo scoffed scornfully and crossed his arms across his chest.

"They wouldn't. They're pretty much useless. Any sort of public service on L2 comes from the Preventers or Neighborhood Watch groups going around. And I can just imagine that none of the lovely gang-bangers have volunteered anything, not even to Preventer agents. Beautiful…"

"While that's true, I'm certain that we'll uncover some evidence," Wufei said slowly. "However, that's not all that I want to talk to you about."

"Oh?" Duo could feel his heart racing in his chest. "Then what?" 'Oh, God, please don't let this be what I think it is,' he silently begged, trying his hardest to read Wufei's thoughts before they began talking. To his dismay, the other man's mind was completely blank. 'Oh, shit, I think we're going to have _The Talk_.'

"Ever since you woke up from your coma, you've been acting strange. I didn't say anything at first, because to be honest, I was relieved that you were awake. However, I've had some time to adjust to that fact, and my suspicions have returned. What is going on, Maxwell?"

Duo blinked. 'Fuck, he just called me by my last name. He must be really pissed.' Taking the time to sit down so his leg would stop throbbing, Duo looked carefully at his friend. "How much do you trust me to tell you the truth?"

Quatre woke up and sighed happily. Things were finally working out in his favor. Duo was awake, his time away from WEI could be seen as a vacation, he'd confessed to Trowa, and he'd had the world's best sleep last night. Even the fact that Trowa was sleeping in the room's other bed didn't bother him. 'It's just like during the war, I guess."

He smiled softly at that thought and stretched languidly. He really wanted to talk to Duo. Perhaps he had some suggestions as to what he could do with Trowa to advance their relationship. The blond froze as he felt a heavy stare on his back.

"Quatre, what are you doing?" The brunet's rich voice sent shivers up and down the smaller man's spine.

"I was thinking of taking Duo out shopping for clothes and then to lunch. I was going to ask Relena if she'd like to come as well," the Arab said sweetly, flashing a bright smile at his companion. "That way, you, Heero and Wufei can plot and talk about us behind our backs. I'm sure that Wufei has learned Duo's secret by now and will need someone _rational_ to discuss it with."

"And you think that I count as someone rational? Or Heero?" Amusement was shining in Trowa's visible green eye.

"Well, you two are less… emotional than Relena and I. Wufei does seem to respond better to that most of the time."

"Unless he is an inner emotional wreck himself, and can give control over to you," Trowa clarified happily.

"Mm, well, there is that, yes."

"So, shall I tell Heero while you call to Duo and Relena? That way, Heero and I can successfully take Wufei out of the equation and distract him long enough so that you three have your 'bonding time'."

"You act as if you three won't be bonding as well."

"Oh, we will engage in dialogue that will undoubtedly leave us with a better sense of camaraderie, but it will be nowhere near the level you will be enjoying."

"Allah forbid that I should enjoy something more than you." Quatre's smile died as he felt Duo's emotions spike in the direction of fear and unease. "Trowa, I think we should move quickly. There's something wrong with Duo and Wufei."

Relena helped a pale and nervous Duo into a lovely café three blocks from their hotel, and waved at a seated Quatre, who seemed to be as withdrawn as Duo. As she sat down at the table, she sighed heavily. "Alright, so, who wants to tell me why it feels like someone killed the team mascot?" Two sets of eyes, one aquamarine and the other violet, gave her similarly confused looks.

"I don't know what's absolutely wrong, but I'm sure that Duo could tell us what's going on with him," Quatre answered softly, looking up as the waiter came to get their orders. When he left them alone, the two blonds turned to the braided boy with expectant stares. "Are you going to tell us, or am I going to have to drag it out of you. I'm not above calling Howard, you know."

Duo sighed, his eyes resembling those of a skittish animal. "I guess I should tell you… Quatre, you know what we talked about, privately, when you visited me alone?" The blond man nodded slowly. "Well, Wufei has been curious for a while about my behaviour."

"Oh," Quatre responded slowly, a look of dawning recognition coming over his face. "Oh. OH! That's not good."

"Alright, you two are going to tell me what is going on with all the cryptic Gundam pilot talk, or I will be handing your respective crushes your balls," Relena shot at both men, watching them both turn an interesting shade of green. "Well?"

Duo cleared his throat. "Well, see, it's like this… Since I woke up from my lovely coma, I can read everyone's thoughts. It's not brain damage. The doctors told me that my brain is surprisingly in good shape for someone who was used a stopping block for a delivery van. Yeah, so, since then, everyone's fucking thoughts have been driving me absolutely batshit crazy! Heero was insanely jealous about the way you and I joked. Quatre's been thinking about Trowa's ass. Trowa…" He shuddered dramatically. "You do _not_ want to know what Trowa's been thinking about. You've been pretty tame in comparison. I don't want to talk about what Wufei's thinking. It's all over the place."

"Please, it centers on you," Relena said kindly. "There's no point in denying it. I may not be able to read thoughts or emotions like you two, if I should believe all this at any rate, but even _I_ know that that man is totally, completely, insanely in love with you."

The American shifted uncomfortably, his face a very bright shade of red. "Um, yeah, well… 'Fei made me 'fess up this morning…"

"Oh… Oh. OH!" Relena shook her head sadly. "I can imagine that he wasn't very sympathetic. He strikes me as extremely taciturn." She paused thoughtfully. "In fact, when I first saw how strongly he felt about you, it surprised me. He only reacted strongly about Treize Khushrenada, OZ, and his place in the world after the first world. That was the first time in two years I'd seen him act so angry."

"Yeah, he's not really a teddy bear type, I suppose."

"But does that matter to you, Duo?" she asked quietly. He shook his head in response. "Then, have you two talked about how you feel about one another."

He whispered his response so low that Relena missed it completely.

"What?"

However, it was Quatre who answered. "You and he kissed, Duo?" The brunet nodded sadly before his face completely shut down, resembling a blank mask. "I'll kill him," the blond growled through clenched teeth.

Relena looked between the two men for a few long moments, trying to decipher what news Duo had given them. And then, his reaction made sense, and she was enraged. "Only if you let me help, Quatre, are you allowed to kill Chang Wufei."

"No!" Duo reached out and grabbed both of his friends' arms in a tight grip that she was sure was going to leave a nasty bruise, but she didn't complain. However, the braided man loosened his grip before proceeding. "No, I figured that he'd react this way. There's nothing you can do. If nothing changes, I'll go back to L2 and Hilde will help me out." He winced.

"Isn't she…" Quatre started cryptically.

"Yeah, she is, but what else choice do I have, Q?"

"You could come back to L4 with me," the blond snapped. "He isn't the only friend you have, you know!"

"Or you could come with me. I know that I'm busy a lot of the time, but Pargon is excellent at assisting with those who have injuries," Relena offered. She was surprised at how calm she sounded, but she was planning what she was going to say to Heero so that he could take out Wufei if he rejected her friend the way it seemed he might have.

"Thanks, both of you, but ya'll have your own lives, and… uh…" Duo began banging his head against the wire-frame table, muttering under his breath. "I just want to sleep this whole nightmare away."

"You've slept enough," Relena snapped. "Besides, running isn't going to change anything. You haven't done anything, and if he's stupid enough to let something you can't control interfere with a possible relationship with you, then he's the biggest idiot I've ever met and not worthy of your despair!"

Duo looked up at her slowly and began snickering. "Yes'm. Now, don't you have some news to share?"

TBC

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	11. Caught RedHanded

**Title:** The Matchmaker 11/15?  
**Author: **Makoto Sagara  
**Series:** Gundam Wing  
**Archive:** fanfiction .net, afallenangel .net/makotosagara/, mediaminer .org, adultfanfiction .net, makochanupdates .livejournal .com; anywhere else, please ask first.  
**Category**: Supernatural, Angst, Romance, Sap

**Pairings:** Eventual 2x5x2, 3x4x3, and 1xRx1  
**Rating:** T  
**Warnings:** Shonen ai, language, angst, sap, het, supernatural dealings  
**Disclaimers:** Yeah, like I own Gundam Wing. (Goes off to cry, but not before turning out pockets) I am poor as well. Flames will be used to amuse my muses. They are easily entertained, but highly obnoxious.

**A/N:** I received a comment about how the plot to kill Duo seems to be tacked on at the end of the ninth chapter. Sorry, this isn't true, and hopefully this chapter will clear up why you missed some of the signs, just like the pilots did.

**Chapter Eleven – Caught Red-Handed**

"So, you two expect me to believe that since this accident that Maxwell can hear our thoughts?" Wufei asked, not bothering to check his tone of voice at contempt.

Heero and Trowa exchanged glances and the banged man shrugged in defeat. "It isn't that far-fetched when one considers Quatre's ability."

The black-haired man looked around the crowded restaurant before leaning into his lunch companions. "Excuse me if I have issues with Winner's paranormal capabilities." He scowled fiercely. "However, that is unlikely to make me believe that Maxwell has somehow gained… What? Telepathy?"

"I would assume so," Heero answered coolly. While he understood Wufei's resistance to this odd situation, he also knew that Duo knew things that he really shouldn't, and believed that his friend would never lie to any of them. Especially not about something as strange as this. "Let me ask you a question, Chang, and you'll answer truthfully." Wufei nodded. "Has Duo ever lied for as long as any of us has known him?"

"Not to my knowledge…" Wufei sounded confused and unsure as to where their conversation was going.

"Duo has confirmed his new condition with me, Heero and Quatre," Trowa replied carefully. "While I did not need his confirmation – I figured out what was going on when he woke up, to be honest – it was nice to receive it. Also, it made it infinitely easier to talk to him about the topic he chose to discuss."

"And what topic was that, Barton?" Wufei asked with his black eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"It was personal, Wufei."

"I can imagine. I am aware of the topic of conversation that he had with Yuy, so I assume that it was of the same vein as that, but with Winner as the object?" Trowa's silence seemed to confirm something for the Chinese man. "Fine, tell me why Maxwell is acting as some psychic matchmaker?"

"What would you do if all you heard was the thoughts and desires of everyone around you?"

That seemed to sink in, and then the Chinese face began to turn red before blanching entirely. "So, all of us, since he woke up?"

"As far as anyone can tell," Heero added, nodding as Wufei's look turned thoughtful. "If you're worried about the way he found your feelings, I wouldn't."

Trowa snorted before shaking his head. "With him, I think the only one who didn't have some idea of what he felt for you was yourself, Wufei."

"And none of you felt that you needed to tell me this?" Wufei's thin lips were even thinner as he pulled them into a grimace.

"It _is_ a personal issue, and I doubt Duo would have forgiven us if we'd told you before he could." Trowa speared his friend with his eyes, willing him to see the logic in what he was saying. "It would have been a different story if the doctors hadn't been so sure he'd wake up. Quatre or I might have told you then, but it was made redundant by his nearly miraculous recovery."

"How in the world can you believe any of this, Yuy?" Wufei asked, ignoring the European pilot for the moment. "It's absolutely ludicrous."

"I will admit that I find it illogical, Wufei, but there is no logical answer for this. Just as there is no logical explanation for Quatre's unusual ability."

"This is all beyond the point, Wufei. You know it, and so do we." Trowa sounded so calm, but inside he was upset for Duo. No matter what was said, Wufei was just trying to ignore the issue. "The question now is what are you going to do with this information? Are you still going to take him back to Paris with you to recuperate?" His visible eye grew hard and cold. "Or should I let Quatre know that you're a coward and that the rest of us should step up to help our friend?"

"I am _no_ coward, Barton, and if you even try to suggest that, I'll gut you."

"Good to know," Heero said with a twist of his lips that could have been a smile but was too scary to be called that. "Duo is the first friend I ever had, and I don't want to see him unhappy."

"Are you charging me with a mission, Yuy?"

"Oh, you could say that. Of course, failure means that I kill you." The Japanese man shrugged as he stood from the table. "I have to go get Relena. Evidently, I am taking her shopping before we return to Geneva."

"Good luck with that, Heero," Trowa said with a huge smile. "I don't envy you. The only thing worse would be if Quatre and Duo decided to go with you." Heero's blue eyes grew big momentarily before his face shut down completely. "Although, what's the probability of that occurring?"

"Fairly high," Heero snarled. "If Wufei's attitude is any indication, Duo is upset and the other two may feel the need for 'shopping therapy'?" Trowa and Heero both shuddered. "I'll leave you now, but, Trowa," the green-eyed man looked up, "leave your phone on."

"I don't feel comfortable leaving him alone," Relena told Quatre as they left Duo's hotel room after lunch. "I wish he'd come out with us for more than just lunch, even for a little bit."

Quatre sighed and closed his eyes before reaching out to try and understand Duo's emotions. "He's tired, physically and emotionally right now. I think the best thing we can do is let him sleep."

"Wrong," the young woman said. "The best thing we can do is to wring Chang Wufei's stupid neck for being so stupid." Her pretty face was turned into a snarl that left Quatre both impressed and worried.

"Relena, hurting Wufei will only make Duo unhappier. Besides, the man is our friend as well, if I'm not mistaken." They turned to walk down the hall to the elevator. Heero was supposedly waiting for them in the lobby before they went shopping.

"Well, we're not besties, but I suppose that we are more than just passing acquaintances now."

"And if it wasn't for the problem between him and Duo, you'd have no real issue with him?"

"I don't know. I hate how he calls me 'woman' like I'm some lower life form."

"And the last time he did that?"

"Two days before Duo woke up, thank you very much!"

"What were you doing?"

She flushed a bit before running a hand through her perfectly coiffed hair. "Well, I happened to be fluffing Duo's pillows… and his head hit the bed a bit too hard."

"So, you could have been seen as trying to hurt his love interest at the time, yes?"

"God, Quatre, don't you be logical too! I require you and Duo to keep me from going insane from all the rational thoughts of the others!"

"I thought you got enough bullshit from working with politicians?" They both began laughing as they boarded the waiting elevator car. Neither saw the man who slunk around the corner and started heading towards the room where they'd just left Duo.

Trowa decided, after talking to Quatre on his cell, to follow Wufei back up to his hotel room to check on Duo. He knew from the quick discussion with his… friend that the American was tired and relatively well, but he felt the need to make sure that nothing untoward happened when Wufei saw the other ex-pilot again.

He was surprised when he looked down the hall to find someone crouched in front of the door to their room, obviously trying to break in. "Wufei… Do you have your gun?"

"Yes," his friend responded quickly, looking at the stranger before his room while moving to retrieve his weapon. "Stay here," he growled.

Trowa leaned against the nearest wall, more than willing to let the Preventer to do what he felt was his job. Since the Chinese man was actually legally armed, something Trowa wasn't, and the stranger was an unknown, it was the wisest thing for the European man to do. And if he was able to get some humor out of the situation as well, who could blame him, right?

As it was, Wufei snuck up behind the stranger on the balls of his silent feet and struck him with the side of his hand on the back of his neck, knocking him out. The man had nearly hit the floor before Wufei snatched at his collar and pulled up. Trowa took the time to join his friend with their captive and looked him over.

He was rather plain: straight, brown hair; small eyes of undetermined color since they were closed; button nose; thin lips; about 170cm, the same height as Wufei; and slim, like Duo. It could have been anyone really. He was the perfect choice as an assassin, if you didn't count the fact that he obviously needed to work on his lock picking skills. _'Maybe he should take classes from Duo.'_

"Do you recognize him?" Wufei asked as he shook the unconscious man.

"Wufei," Trowa said quietly, "he looks like a normal guy. We need to get him out of this hallway, away from prying eyes, and restrained so we can ask why he's here."

Wufei nodded, pulling out a pair of handcuffs from an inner pocket of his jacket. At Trowa's raised eyebrow, he shrugged nonchalantly, but his cavalier attitude was ruined by the blush that dusted his high cheekbones. "I thought you were off-duty?"

"I am, but I thought I'd need them to keep Duo in the hospital," Wufei mumbled, his face getting redder by the second.

"Does Duo know you're so kinky?" He thought he heard something that sounded suspiciously like '_Ai ma… yang gui zi… shi de'(1)_. He tried his best to remember what little Mandarin he'd learned when he went to China, and then smiled when he did. "And when did Duo learn this?"

"During the war… Moonbase… We thought we were dying."

"Was that before or after you found the schematics for Deathscythe Hell and Altron?"

"How is that important, Barton?" Oh, boy, Wufei was pissed, he could tell. "Are you going to help me or not?"

Trowa reined in his amusement, leaving his face as blank as possible. "Of course, Wufei," he replied, opening the hotel room with the key that his friend had dropped while retrieving his handcuffs. He pocketed it and then grabbed their prisoner's legs while Wufei lifted from the man's shoulders. It was an easy job of carrying him into the room and depositing him into one of the chairs around the small eating area.

Once he was secured, Trowa began searching his pockets. What he found made him extremely angry. The unknown man had been carrying a gun, a cloth with what smelled like chloroform, a stun gun, rope, and a knife. "No ID."

"Of course not," Wufei snarled, shaking the man until he woke up. The man's eyes snapped open, revealing an odd blue-green-gold combination that was the only characteristic that would have stood out, and he scowled. "Who are you?"

Silence.

"I asked you who you are," Wufei repeated quietly. "If you're here with all this paraphernalia, you must know who we are and what we are capable of. Now, answer me."

"You are 05 and 03 from the colonies." His voice was a soft, high-pitched whisper.

Trowa frowned. If this man knew their codenames from Operation Meteor, he could only have been associated with a few redundant organizations – OZ, Romefeller, the Doctors, or the Alliance. However, another possibility came to mind that chilled his blood. "Wufei, come here for a moment," he whispered in his friend's ear.

"What?" The Chinese man was as tense as a steel beam, but allowed Trowa to pull him to the other side of the room. "What is it, Barton?"

"I think we have a problem," Trowa said quietly.

"That's rather obvious, I would think."

"He's referring to us by our codenames. There aren't many people alive who have access to that information, right?" Wufei nodded. "I think we have to have Duo read his mind to get what we need from him. He's not going to talk. He's been trained to withstand interrogations and torture, most likely."

Wufei eyed their captive carefully. He was holding his head stiffly, eyes staring straight ahead of him, and his jaw was set in what could only have been a stubborn clench. "He's not going to talk to us. You're right."

"I think we need to have…"

"I heard you the first time, Barton, but I don't think he'd be up to doing this."

"Call Heero and Quatre and let them know what's going on," Trowa said resolutely. "I'll talk to Duo. I understand how you feel, Wufei, but I think we need answers."

TBC

Notes: (1) Ai ma… yang gui zi… shi de – Mandarin, 'fuck it, dammit… foreign devil/bastard… yes'

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	12. Interrogation Techniques

**Title:** The Matchmaker 12/15?  
**Author: **Makoto Sagara  
**Series:** Gundam Wing  
**Archive:** , /makotosagara/, , , .com; anywhere else, please ask first.  
**Category**: Supernatural, Angst, Romance, Sap

**Pairings:** Eventual 2x5x2, 3x4x3, and 1xRx1  
**Rating:** T  
**Warnings:** Shonen ai, language, angst, sap, het, supernatural dealings  
**Disclaimers:** Yeah, like I own Gundam Wing. (Goes off to cry, but not before turning out pockets) I am poor as well. Flames will be used to amuse my muses. They are easily entertained, but highly obnoxious.

**A/N:** Hm, okay, so it might be a bit longer than fifteen chapters now that I'm finding more and more details for these last few chapters. Scenes just keep popping up and demanding to be written, and I really can't refuse. So, let's say somewhere between fifteen and twenty chapters. That's safe! Many thanks go to IThoughtMyJokesWereBad for agreeing to put up with me. 3 ya~!

**Chapter Twelve – Interrogation Techniques**

"What's going on?" Duo asked as he limped into the sitting room of the suite, making Trowa and Wufei glance back at him momentarily before turning back to the man they had handcuffed and tied to one of the chairs. "'Fei? Tro? Who's that?"

'_What do we say? He has every right to know that we suspect this man of trying to kill him,'_ Wufei thought, his face blank as his mind traveled a million miles a minute.

"Whoa, you think he's the one who hit me," Duo said, with a voice that was shaky. "I need to sit down."

Trowa immediately made his way to help the American pilot but was pushed, none too gently, out of the way by Wufei. Once he had Duo seated on the room's couch, he answered him. "Yes, Duo, we believe that he is responsible, or knows who is." Wufei's voice was tender and low. "We've called Yuy and Winner up to help us question him."

"Duo, you might be able to get more information than the rest of us," Trowa added. _'He doesn't know about your new quirk and we can use that to our advantage.'_

The braided man nodded, swallowing a few times. "How long before the other two get up here?" A knock on the outside door sounded just then. "Well, I guess that answers my question," he said with a humorless laugh.

He watched as Trowa looked through the peep-hole and then opened the door. "You brought Relena, Heero? Isn't that reckless?"

"You thought that I was going to leave her alone while there are unknown entities roaming the hotel?" Heero asked, and Duo had to smile at the stern tone his best friend was using. "Besides, she wouldn't stay down in the lobby or go to her own room. She demanded to be here for Duo."

"Damn right," the woman cursed, pushing her way passed the two men and sitting down next to Duo on the sofa. "There's no way that you're leaving me out of this. I have just as much right to know as the rest of you." She crossed her arms and fixed a stubborn look on her face.

"'Lena, it's not really safe for this guy to know you're here," Duo whispered to her as he watched Heero, Quatre and Trowa move to stand near Wufei.

"Well, if he knew enough to wait until you were alone, he probably saw Quatre and me with you earlier," she said reasonably. "So, it's pretty useless to worry about him not knowing that I'm associated with you now."

"She's right, Duo," Quatre said, frowning. "I suppose the first thing to determine is who he is. I can assume that you've already checked him." Wufei and Trowa nodded wordlessly. "Nothing, right?" Again, they nodded. "Lovely… So, ideas?" Trowa leaned over to the blond and whispered in his ear for a few seconds. "Oh, yes, that idea should work. We'd be able to tell if he was lying, of course, and Duo can always tell us if he refuses to answer."

"I never thought that this stupid... _thing_… would be useful for anything," Duo muttered. He spared Relena a look of thanks when she patted his hand comfortably. "So, who's going to interrogate him?"

The other men exchanged looks before grabbing Relena and Duo up from the couch and pushing them into the bedroom. Wufei and Trowa were gentle as they helped Duo, but it still didn't stop the dull ache from his leg that only got worse as he sat down on the bed. He grimaced and Quatre eyed him carefully. "You didn't take your pain meds yet, Duo?"

"I didn't really get a chance before 'Fei and Tro got here with our guest." He wasn't surprised when the pill bottle was shoved in his face, quickly followed by a plastic cup of water from the tap. He downed three of the pills and made a face at the aftertaste. "Yeesh, nasty."

"Stop whining, you baby," Heero said before turning to the others. "I think that Quatre should lead the questioning."

"We're leading with the big guns then," Duo said, closing his eyes momentarily. Quatre could feel the pain that his friend was in, but as there was nothing he could do to help, he didn't draw attention to it. Wufei would only hover, and that would anger Duo, making things more strained between them. "Can't say I disapprove, but why not send Trowa in first?"

"He's already shut down on Wufei and me," Trowa answered, shrugging. "Heero may be right. Quatre, no offense, looks the least threatening of us all, aside from Relena."

"None taken," the blond answered. He was still unsure as to what the relationship he and Trowa had outside of their friendship, and titles made everything more definite. _'I guess neither of us is ready for that just yet. However, it would be nice to know exactly _what_ we are to one another.'_

"You two still haven't talked about that yet?" Duo whispered, managing to not draw the attention of the other men. Sadly, Relena heard their braided friend and she was staring at him in disbelief.

'_Now's not the time for this, Duo!'_ Quatre turned his attention to room's other occupants, blatantly ignoring the violet and blue eyes boring holes into his head. _'Besides, isn't finding out who that guy in the other room is more important.'_

"Um, guys, you do realize that we left that would-be assassin tied up in the other room alone?" Relena asked.

"She's right," Wufei snarled. "Winner, you, Peacecraft, and Duo should go in first. We'll wait in here and come out if you need us."

"Hn. That sounds fine, except we need a lookout on the outside," Heero added. "I'll wait in the hallway to make sure that no one else gets in."

"Are you armed?" Trowa asked.

"I may not have Wufei's extensive martial arts training, but I can handle myself in hand-to-hand combat," the Japanese man said calmly.

"No," Duo said. "Wufei, you have a gun. You're the only law enforcement type out of all of us. Heero's just a bodyguard."

"I can carry a gun and I do so, Duo," Heero shot back.

"Yeah, but if Wufei shoots someone, it doesn't get traced back to 'Lena. Just Une and the Preventers."

"I have a thought about that, but now isn't the time," Trowa said. "Duo's right. Wufei should stand guard outside. Heero and I will stay in here while Duo, Quatre and Relena go out and talk to our new friend." Quatre could feel the anxiety wafting off of Trowa, and that, more than anything else going on, unsettled him.

Relena couldn't remember a time she felt less like smiling before then, but she was sure there was a time worse than just that moment. Perhaps the time when her father was killed was one of those times, but only a dull pang of guilt kept her from really thinking about that. On the bright side of things, she didn't want to castrate Wufei anymore. In fact, she would have kissed him if that wouldn't upset Duo _and_ Heero.

The Chinese man appeared to be over his original reservations regarding Duo's ability and trusted him again. Of course, it had only taken an unknown killer to get him back to that point. _'I'm surrounded by a bunch of stupid men,'_ she thought, making Duo snicker next to her. She, in turn, began laughing, until Quatre speared them both with a glare that he _must_ have stolen from either Heero or Wufei. The blonde woman schooled her face into a frown and took in their captive. He was… normal looking, if you could overlook those unusual eyes. He appeared to be non-threatening. And from her extremely limited knowledge of the shadier side of things, she understood that he was perfect as a killer. No one would be able to identify him from a million other men they'd met. It was unnerving.

"We know why you're here," Quatre stated coolly, bringing Relena out of her thoughts. "There's no use trying to say that you're not here to take out Duo, at the least. So, skip the denials."

The man scoffed and continued to stare at the wall in front of him.

"You're scared," her friend said. "I know you are."

"I am not." His voice was high-pitched, but soft. It seemed slightly… effeminate. Something about that bothered her, but Relena couldn't place her finger on it.

"Duo, there's something not right about this," she whispered.

"Yeah, I got that impression from your thoughts, 'Lena, but I know what you mean too," he whispered back. His purple eyes closed and his face scrunched up in concentration before he let out a little gasp of shock. "She's a woman."

"What?" Quatre asked, turning around to look at them.

"Our 'friend' here is a woman," Duo answered calmly. Relena grabbed his hand to hide the trembling she'd felt coming from him. "She was hired to kill me first, but she's only a replacement for the other one."

"Does she know who hired her?" Duo shook his head at Quatre and Relena fought back a scream of rage. "Who was the first?"

"What do you mean she was hired to kill you first?" Relena bit out between clenched teeth.

Duo's brow wrinkled as he focused on the woman before them. "I'm getting something about how the rest of us are collateral damage to her employer. She doesn't know any names."

A hiss came from their captive. "So, you can actually do that then? He wasn't lying."

"Who?" Quatre asked while leaning over the sitting figure with one hand's fingers twitching as they grasped the end of his lovely teal jumper, the one that Relena had told him matched his eyes so well.

"The orderly," Duo breathed. Relena whipped her head over to look at him. His face was deathly pale and he had a hand in front of his mouth as if he was going to be sick. "Oh, my god…"

"HEERO!"

As soon as Relena called out his name, Heero shot out of the hotel suite's bedroom and into the living room, his gun drawn and Trowa right behind him. He wasn't surprised that the front door slammed open and Wufei was standing in the frame with his own weapon drawn. His… girlfriend (_'and how odd is it to use that word'_ he thought hysterically,) was sitting next to his best friend, who appeared to be trying not to be violently ill. Quatre was looming over their prisoner still. "What happened?"

"Oh, my god, oh, my god, oh, my god," Duo whispered repeatedly in a dead voice.

Wufei swept into the room, kicking the door shut behind him, and pushed Relena away from the American. "Duo, what's wrong? Tell me."

"The orderly… He… Oh, my god."

"What's going on? What did you find out?" Trowa asked Quatre.

"She," he pointed at their prisoner, shocking the other three men, "told Duo that she wasn't the first hired to kill him."

"Who was then?" Wufei asked calmly, coldly.

"The orderly is all he'll say," Relena answered softly.

"Which orderly? There were many if I'm not mistaken," Heero said.

"The one I couldn't read," Duo said, sounding a bit stronger. "I thought it was odd, since I could hear just about everyone else, but there was this one orderly. That day that Tro brought me coffee, and a few times before that…" He made a move as if he was going to throw up. "I remember the food tasted funny every time he brought it in."

"You didn't eat much that morning," Trowa added. "I remember that."

"It was poisoned." All sound in the room ceased, and it was as if they had been magically transported to a vacuum. "I was poisoned," Duo said after the silence had dragged on for a few minutes.

No one was ready for when Wufei dropped his gun and launched himself bodily at their captive, letting out a wordless scream of pure fury.

TBC

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	13. Uncontrollable Urges

**Title:** The Matchmaker 13/ 20?  
**Author: **Makoto Sagara  
**Series:** Gundam Wing  
**Archive:** the usual suspects (ffnet, affnet, Foreverfandom, my site, mediaminer, my update LJ, and the D&DML on yahoo); anywhere else, please ask first.  
**Category**: Supernatural, Angst, Romance, Sap

**Pairings:** Eventual 2x5x2, 3x4x3, and 1xRx1  
**Rating:** T  
**Warnings:** Shonen ai, language, angst, sap, het, supernatural dealings  
**Disclaimers:** Yeah, like I own Gundam Wing. (Goes off to cry, but not before turning out pockets) I am poor as well. Flames will be used to amuse my muses. They are easily entertained, but highly obnoxious.

**A/N:** A billion thanks go to my new beta, Jokes! 3 you for all you've done so far. Oh, and how about that last chapter, yeah? Wufei's no~ot happy! *giggles hysterically before running off to plot with the psycho muses*

**Chapter Thirteen – Uncontrollable Urges**

It took Heero, Quatre and Trowa to pull Wufei off of the woman, who appeared to be much worse for wear once they were able to look her over. Darkening red marks popped up around both sides of her neck. She had a blackening eye, as well as a broken lip and nose. Even though the wretched assassin was still alive, Wufei took grim pleasure in seeing that she was suffering for even _thinking _about hurting his…

He took a deep breath as Trowa's hands tightened on his upper arms and looked at his friends. Duo – his heart skipped a beat as he looked at the braided man – was staring, his mouth wide open in surprise. Relena had a hand covering her mouth, but Wufei suspected it was because she was trying, poorly, to hide a huge grin. Quatre was frowning, but didn't strike him as completely displeased. Heero's face was blank, but those blue eyes that Wufei had hated for so long were blinking quickly – the way they did when the Japanese man was plotting. And Trowa wasn't bothering to hide the smile that he wore.

'_Well… Hm… I lose my temper, strike a woman and no one comments. That is unusual'_

"Oh, it's not that we're not commenting," Duo said, shaking his head like a dog. Wufei felt his mouth strain as the end of the American's braid smacked him on the cheek. "It's that we don't know what the hell to say."

"How are you feeling?" he asked softly, shrugging off the others so he could make his way back across the room to Duo.

"Numb?" He sounded so lost, so unsure, so un-Duo-like, that it made Wufei's temporary moment of insanity necessary. "I dunno. I wanna lie down again."

"I don't think you should be alone, Duo," Relena said, making the pilots turn their attention to her. "We still don't know who hired her, who she is, what else she may have done or if there are others ready to take her place."

"She has a point," Quatre replied thoughtfully. "It's not like we can all just go back to our lives after this. Duo was more than likely the prime target because he was separated from us on L2. The rest of us are in the spotlight a lot, so our deaths would have been noted right away."

"Thanks for pointing out that I'm expendable, Q," Duo muttered. Wufei sighed and placed a hand on the other man's shoulder.

"That is not what Winner has said, and you know it." He softened his expression as he knelt before the man he hoped to take as his lover eventually. "He was merely pointing out that you would have the least amount of protection surrounding you."

"I'd still like to know who hired her and the orderly," Trowa said. "When questioned, she mentioned our codenames from Operation Meteor. There are few people living with access to that information."

"What do you suspect, Trowa?" Heero asked.

"OZ personnel, Romefeller, Alliance soldiers, the Doctors, us… and the Preventers… That's all that I can think of who would have had access to that information," the banged man said, scowling as he finished.

"You can't possibly think that this was set up by Une or Sally Po," Quatre snapped.

"No, of course not," Trowa answered. "Une and Sally both understand that we are much more valuable alive and helping rebuild the world than dead."

"So, you suspect another in the ranks?" Relena asked. "Perhaps someone who used to belong to OZ, Romefeller or the Alliance."

"It makes sense," Wufei answered after a long moment of thought. "However, they wouldn't have been just some low-level grunt. They'd have to have been officers."

"Can you think of anyone like that?" Quatre asked, obviously trying to think instead of reacting.

"There are a few – aside from Une and Sally – that fit that description…" Wufei looked down to see Duo forcing his eyes back open. "I'll be back. Duo needs to lie down." Without waiting for any comments, Wufei scooped the braided man up and carried him into the adjoining bedroom.

"Thanks, 'Fei," Duo whispered as Wufei placed him carefully on the bed. "Meds are making me sleepy."

"It's my pleasure."

"I know," the braided man said. "Don't hate me, then?"

"No, I don't hate you. Why would you think that?"

"'Fore, your thoughts were all mad when I told you. Now, you just want to hurt that chick out there."

"I would never hurt Relena," he half-joked.

"You're cute, 'Fei." Duo gave a huge yawn that made him look like a child fighting a nap. "'M not a kid. Stop thinkin' like that. 'M a grown man, dammit."

"I know you're not a child, Duo." Wufei leaned over and kissed the American's forehead as his blue-purple eyes slid shut. _'I'm well aware of the fact of just what you are, Duo Maxwell.'_

"We need that information," Heero growled. He was pacing. It was such an unlikely gesture that Relena couldn't help but smile a little. "The longer we sit here, the more time passes that a second, or third, person could be sent out to take out all of us."

"Your impatience isn't helping," Quatre said, closing his eyes in thought. "We are all aware of the danger that this woman poses, Heero."

"No torture," Relena said. "I won't be part of the torture of another human being."

"You wouldn't be a part of it if you left," Wufei said from the open bedroom door. "Although, there are other ways of getting someone like that to talk."

"Such as?" she challenged. Getting these four to talk about anything from the wars was virtually impossible, and no one could stonewall like a former Gundam pilot, she'd found.

"Unimportant for you to know," the Chinese man said levelly. "Trowa?" The banged man nodded and looked down at Quatre.

"Take Relena to her room and stay there for a while."

"No," Relena shouted, making everyone stare at her. "Just because I said no torture that doesn't mean you can just shunt me over to the side because you think I'll object to what you're going to do."

"You understand that if you stay, you have no say in what happens," Heero said. She nodded after a moment of thought. "The second you feel like protesting at what we do, you're going in the bedroom with Duo and don't get to come out until we're done."

"I understand."

"Fine, any ideas how to start?" And with that, they seemed to act as if she'd melded into the wallpaper. She watched them as they talked to one another. Oddly enough, it was just like when Duo was in the hospital. Their faces were drawn and they were speaking in quiet, intense tones.

The longer that they acted as if their prisoner wasn't there, the more the woman began shifting in her bonds. Relena was sure that she wasn't the only one who noticed her when Heero turned and glared at her. She stilled and her face shut down to resemble the blank mask that Heero himself used to wear during the wars. "Move and I'll shoot you."

"I've heard stories about you, 01," she snarled, an ugly, vicious sound that made the hairs on Relena's arms stand on end. "You had many opportunities to kill both Peacecrafts and didn't take them. Neither did you kill 05 during the Eve War. Excuse me if I'm not worried about you."

"Then you're stupid," Wufei shot back. "While Heero may not have killed any of the people in this room or Marquise, those weren't the only targets he's ever had. You'd be smart to remember what happened to them."

"Am I supposed to be afraid of you, 05?" She glared, but the look was ruined by the many bruises and cuts she'd suffered at the Chinese man's hands previously. "You haven't killed me, even when you found out what happened to your precious 02. And I heard you cried when you finally killed Khushrenada. You're weak."

The sound of the back of Quatre's hand connecting with her already abused face reverberated throughout the room. Not even Relena was going to tell him to not hit her after she spat so much venom at her friends. "If you know the stories, then you know who I am and what I've done. Don't think that I will take pity on you because you're a woman. You've threatened not only my very good friend, but you work for someone who sees the rest of us as acceptable collateral damage. That's unacceptable. Shut up or I'll break your jaw with the next hit."

Wisely, the assassin seemed content with being silent after that. The look in her eyes could have peeled the wallpaper, but she was quiet.

Relena swallowed down the fear that the blond man's ice cold voice had raised. _'I think I'll be better off in the room with Duo. I don't think I want to know just what they're going to do anymore.'_ She stood from the couch and they turned to look at her. "I'm going to go lie down myself," she said shakily. Wufei and Heero nodded at her while Trowa gave her an understanding smile. Quatre stepped forward and sighed.

"I'm sorry about you having to see that, Relena, but I'm not sorry that I did it."

"I know, Quatre, and I know that you were a Gundam pilot just like the rest of them, but sometimes it's just so easy to forget that you've killed people."

"Even after Heero brought me to Sanq?"

"Yes, even after that," she said with a small smile. "Come and get me when you're ready to go, Heero." Her boyfriend nodded and she went to sit with Duo while he slept.

"It seems as if she has been caught by the Gundam pilots, sir," a mousy looking man said as he looked around the darkened office.

"This is the second agent you've supplied that has failed," the burly man growled. "You promised me results and you've given me a whole lot of nothing. Unacceptable. Fix this."

"I'm so sorry, sir. I'll make sure that 02 is disposed of. I promise."

"I don't want promises! I want results!" The burly man jumped up from his seat and picked up the other man by the collar of his shirt. "I've paid you a _lot_ of money to do this job, and you have yet to show me that you're worth it. Stop sending in your agents if they're so bad. Take care of this yourself, or I will have your head mounted on my wall, instead of 02's ridiculous braid."

"Yes, sir," the second man whimpered.

"Good, get out of my face," the other man growled, tossing the smaller man on the floor roughly. "One week!"

TBC

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	14. Stupid Assassins are Annoying

**Title:** The Matchmaker 14/20?  
**Author: **Makoto Sagara  
**Series:** Gundam Wing  
**Archive:** the usual suspects (ffnet, affnet, Foreverfandom, my site, mediaminer, my update LJ, and the D&DML on yahoo); anywhere else, please ask first.  
**Category**: Supernatural, Angst, Romance, Sap

**Pairings:** Eventual 2x5x2, 3x4x3, and 1xRx1  
**Rating:** T  
**Warnings:** Shonen ai, language, angst, sap, het, supernatural dealings  
**Disclaimers:** Yeah, like I own Gundam Wing. (Goes off to cry, but not before turning out pockets) I am poor as well. Flames will be used to amuse my muses. They are easily entertained, but highly obnoxious.

**A/N:** *hides from the psycho muse and tries to get Wufei to kiss Duo while no one is looking* Things are starting to improve. ^_^ Thanks to Jokes for looking this over.

**Chapter Fourteen – Stupid Assassins are Annoying**

It was dark and his head hurt from the painkillers. _'I shouldn't have taken so many, but, God, it was abso-fucking-lutely wonderful to not be in constant pain for a little while,' _Duo thought as he stretched, amazed that he was still relatively pain-free. He froze as his hand struck a body next to him and he slowly looked over to see who it was. _'Wufei… I'm still not sure how I feel about that.'_

'_Duo, lie back down,'_ Wufei thought, not even opening his eyes or bothering to speak. _'It's late and I'm too tired to deal with things right now.'_

"Too tired to even speak out loud, I see," Duo whispered happily. "It's okay, 'Fei. Did you guys figure anything out? Where's the chick?"

'_Peacecraft is with Yuy, Winner and Barton in the suite two floors up. They took the assassin with them. Evidently, I am not trustworthy enough to be left alone with her.'_

"But they trust you with me, hm? Interesting," Duo teased. "What time did you finally go to bed?"

'_Two, I think… What time is it now?'_

"Seven 'til five," the braided man said as he looked at the clock. "I'm going to order breakfast. You want something?"

"Coffee," Wufei croaked, cracking his dark eyes open. "Lots of it, since you're up and I don't think I'm going to be able to go back to sleep."

Duo smiled quietly and leaned over to place a chaste kiss on the nearly-sleeping man's forehead. "Got it, 'Fei." He wisely chose to ignore the mental spluttering from his friend and limped out into the living room with little trouble. _'Guess I'm getting better then.'_

Twenty minutes later, a freshly showered and grumpy looking Wufei joined Duo out on the couch. The braided man had to swallow repeatedly to ignore the obvious interest some parts of his body took in the loose and damp black hair that surrounded Wufei's face. "When will it be here?

"Any second," Duo breathed. _'Not fair, not fair, not fair, not fair, not fair…'_

Wufei stared at the other man carefully, his mind a lovely blank for a moment. "Duo?"

"Yes?"

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Duo croaked, blushing at the sound of his voice. His eyes grew to epic proportions when Wufei leaned over and placed a soft kiss to his jaw.

"You need to shave, Maxwell," the Chinese man said in a playful tone. "You look rather scruffy."

"'Fei, what… what was that?"

"I _believe_ that it is a morning kiss, but I could be wrong."

"So… you're not mad about… this thing?"

"Am I mad that someone tried to kill you? Yes, I am so angry about that that I could gladly forget that I am a Preventer and go on a killing spree until I find the culprit," Wufei said with a dangerously icy tone. "Am I mad that you are now telepathic since your accident? No, and I don't think I was before. It's just… a lot to get used to at first."

"Oh," Duo responded, feeling oddly blank as he tried to figure out what he wanted to say. "How come I can't read your thoughts now?"

"You can't?" Wufei blinked, his big black eyes seeming bigger for a moment. "I'll have to remember that keeping my mind still for meditation can block you."

"That orderly… I couldn't read him at all," Duo admitted, a tendril of fear crawling up his back.

"When I find him, I will use his carcass as a stepping stone for Altron," Wufei promised, placing another soft kiss to the American's jaw.

"Who knew you were so affectionate?" Duo teased, wrapping his arms around the other man's neck and leaning in for another kiss. A knock on the door sounded just then, and both men groaned as they pulled apart for food, especially since Duo's stomach chose then to grumble like it sometimes did while they were still teenagers. "I'd apologize, but I'm pretty sure I haven't eaten since yesterday's depressing lunch with Q and Lena."

"Once you are fed, showered and dressed, we're going up to the suite where the other four are. It's time to get some real answers from our little guest."

Heero rubbed at his eyes blearily, staring at the assassin they'd tied to one of the dining table's chairs. The woman was slumped forward awkwardly in an attempt to sleep. She'd been like that for the last three hours, and if it wasn't for the fact that she shifted every five minutes or so, he would have worried that she'd managed to commit suicide. _'Isn't that what cowards do? Or is that ninjas? They kill themselves when caught by the enemy to avoid spilling secrets? Too bad this killer didn't count on Duo and Quatre's… quirks.'_

"Good morning, Heero," Relena said as she came from the bedroom she was sharing with Quatre. They'd decided that it was far too dangerous for her to return to her own suite and had moved her up to the large suite with the three former pilots since Wufei had moved down to the other room with Duo. Since Relena and Quatre were practically brother and sister, Heero found no reason to fight the fact that they were sleeping in the same room. In fact, the only other person Heero would have trusted to keep Relena safe – aside from himself and Quatre – was Duo. The braided man _had_ shot him to protect her upon their first meeting.

"Good morning, Relena," he said, surprised at how scratchy his voice sounded.

"Have you been up all night watching her?" she asked, coming over and staring him fully in the face. He stared back at her, holding back a glare for interrupting his guard duty. "You have, and you look like something a Gundam stepped on."

"Thank you, Relena, for your compliment," he deadpanned. His attempt at a joke was rewarded by a shocked look on the woman's face.

"Alright, who are you and what did you do with the real Heero Yuy?"

"He's channeling his inner-Duo today, I believe, Relena," Quatre mumbled behind the blonde woman as he made his way to the small coffee maker in the kitchenette area. "Although, I wish he'd save it for when Duo's here. That would be more enjoyable."

"You just mean that you'd get to see Duo speechless, Quatre," Trowa replied as he joined the others in the main room of the suite. "Why didn't you come get me for my turn, Heero?"

"I knew I wasn't going to be able to sleep anyway, so I left you and Quatre alone."

"Well, she's still alive, so perhaps it was for the best," the banged man said with a dark look.

"Do you mean to tell me that if you had been left alone with her, she would be dead, Barton?" Heero asked his friend. That kind of comment from the former Heavyarms pilot was unusual. He was the most reserved of them all, and if he was having difficulty in holding himself back, it didn't bode well for the others, especially Quatre.

"Let's just be thankful that I wasn't tested," Trowa said cryptically.

"As wonderful as this line of thought is," Relena interrupted, sounding very uncomfortable. "I think it's time that we finish getting answers out of our 'friend' here."

"That is true. No matter what or how we asked her, she refused to answer any questions put to her," Quatre said. "I hate to do this to him, but we need Duo here."

"We should have dinner first," Heero said sleepily.

"Heero, honey, it's morning time," Relena whispered softly in his ear. "Why don't you go take a nap and we'll order breakfast? Between Quatre and Trowa, I'll be safe, and Duo and Wufei will more than likely be up here in a little while."

"I don't trust her. Besides, if we don't intend on killing her, we should attend to her needs."

"Oh, you're absolutely right," she said. "Well, that shouldn't be too difficult between the three of us. You can still go take a nap and we'll handle the rest."

"She's right, Heero," Trowa added. "You're no good to anyone so tired you're about to fall over. This isn't the war, so we don't have to stay awake for ungodly amounts of time. Go rest. I'm sure that Quatre will fill you in on everything once you wake up."

The blond man rolled his eyes at their friend but nodded. "Don't worry, Heero. You'll be briefed as soon as you are ready to assist."

Heero took a long look at his Arabian comrade, searching for any warning signs that he was relying on his time with the Zero System to push through. However, he could find none. It was just the blond's own devious nature at work, and that in and of itself was enough to worry the Japanese man. A quick peek over at Trowa told him that he wasn't the only one observing Quatre for any signs of instability, so he stood up.

"Fine, I will go rest, but I want to be in on any plans we make and you _will_ tell me everything that's said and done while I'm gone." He could hear the other three sigh as he headed into one of the bedrooms to crash.

Wufei knocked on the door and waited patiently for it to be answered. He was surprised to see that it was Quatre who answered, his hand positioned suspiciously over his inside jacket pocket. "Where is Yuy? I was expecting him to answer the door with his gun in my face."

"He decided that he'd take guard duty all night, so Relena sent him to bed once the rest of us were awake," the Arab said quietly.

"And what do you have in your pocket, Q? Doesn't look like it's a gun. A knife? Throwing stars? A bag to throw over my head?" Duo asked happily, ignoring the growl that Wufei gave.

"It's Trowa's gun, actually," Quatre said, moving out of the way to let his two friends into the suite.

"Luckily I am off-duty and I will forget that I heard that," Wufei grumbled, helping Duo to sit down on the couch. "Otherwise, I would have to confiscate the weapon."

"I have a permit for it, Wufei," Trowa said, looking up from where he was reading a book.

"Yes, but Winner does not. However, as I said, I'm off-duty, so I don't care."

"Where's 'Lena? And the chick?" Duo asked as he stretched his left leg with a grimace.

"Relena is making phone calls in the bedroom," Quatre answered. "Our 'friend' is in this bathroom." He knocked on a shut door. "I hope you're finished because I'm coming in there." There was a muffled sound from behind the door, and it stopped as soon as it started. Quatre opened the door and they all stared at the female slumped on the floor, grimacing in pain.

"You could have removed the handcuffs, 04, if you were going to allow me the opportunity to use the facilities," she snarled up at the blond.

Duo burst out into loud guffaws. "You didn't even take the handcuffs off and you expected her to be able to use the restroom that way?"

"I _did_ suggest that it would be difficult for her, but Quatre refused to listen," Trowa said evenly.

"I'm not particularly worried about her comfort level, seeing as how she took money to kill one of my close friends," Quatre snarled, snatching the woman up by her bound hands.

Wufei watched all of this with newfound respect for his comrade. It had been a while since he'd seen this side of the blond, and since it wasn't directed at anyone important this time, he didn't feel bad about not stopping him. _'Perhaps now she'll be reasonably intimidated to answer our questions.'_

"As amusing as I find her predicament, Winner, perhaps we should be focusing on finding out who is paying for her time," Wufei asked calmly.

"Oh, of course," the blond replied, shoving the assassin into the chair next to Trowa's. "You have a choice here, miss. You can either tell me what you know, or we can rip it out of you and not lose anymore sleep than we already do."

"Go to hell, 04,"she responded, spitting a huge glob of saliva into his aristocratic face. No one had time to react before Trowa backhanded her across her cheek.

"You are a prisoner, and if there's anything that the war taught us, it was that it's okay to abuse prisoners," he deadpanned. "Do that again, and I will break your jaw."

Wufei blinked when he felt Duo curl up next to him. "Duo?"

"Trowa's mind… It's a swirl of black and red and hate. He's totally serious," the braided man whispered.

"And what is she thinking, Duo?"

"She's scared shitless and totally regretting taking this job in the first place now."

"Who hired her?"

The American blinked and sighed heavily. "Noventa…"

TBC


	15. The Walking Dead

**Title:** The Matchmaker 15/20?  
**Author: **Makoto Sagara  
**Series:** Gundam Wing  
**Archive:** the usual suspects (ffnet, affnet, Foreverfandom, my site, mediaminer, my update LJ, and the D&DML on yahoo); anywhere else, please ask first.  
**Category**: Supernatural, Angst, Romance, Sap

**Pairings:** Eventual 2x5x2, 3x4x3, and 1xRx1  
**Rating:** T  
**Warnings:** Shonen ai, language, angst, sap, het, supernatural dealings  
**Disclaimers:** Yeah, like I own Gundam Wing. (Goes off to cry, but not before turning out pockets) I am poor as well. Flames will be used to amuse my muses. They are easily entertained, but highly obnoxious.

**A/N:** Didn't see that one coming did you? Mwhahahaha! Many thanks go to Jokes for her help with the latest chapters!

**Chapter Fifteen – The Walking Dead**

"NOVENTA?" Wufei yelled, making Duo wince in pain. Not only was the Chinese man's voice loud, but his mind was awash with screaming and threats and unfamiliar Chinese words that made Duo blink rapidly. "It's impossible," Wufei said in a more reasonable voice after he'd stared at Duo for a few moments. "He…"

"Yeah, he was on that shuttle we blew up, but it's not _that_ Noventa, 'Fei," Duo answered, hoping his words were reaching the other man.

"What's going on?" Heero asked as he came crashing into the room, gun drawn and eyes surprisingly lucid. "I heard Chang yell."

"Duo's found out who hired our friend here," Trowa said quietly.

"Who is it, Trowa?"

"Noventa," Quatre whispered. Heero blinked before replacing his gun into the waistband of his jeans slowly.

"How?" He directed his question directly to Duo, who felt just as guilty as the other four.

"Not _that_ Noventa, 'Ro… His son…" The silence in the room was as deafening as if they'd all been screaming. "I guess we should've seen this coming."

"Be that as it may," Relena said primly. "I fail to see why he would target just one of you. From what Heero's told me, all five of you were responsible for that… situation."

"Well, Quatre has speculated that it is because Duo was practically a sitting duck up on L2 by himself," Trowa answered. The braided man sighed as he caught the look in his friend's eye as he read his mind. _'It's not going to be so easy now that the rest of us are together, Duo. I'd stay as close to Wufei as you possibly can.'_

"Thanks for that, Tro," Duo muttered.

"Alright, so, now that we know who it is, what's the next part?" Relena asked as she looked at the five men in the room.

"Now, we plan," Quatre answered succinctly. "Obviously, Noventa isn't the one who's hiring people like our friend here or her compatriot."

"What makes you so sure, Winner?" Wufei asked, taking one of Duo's hands and distracting him from the conversation by rubbing his thumb across the soft webbing between Duo's fingers. "If she knows that it's Noventa who is behind this all, and I'm disinclined to believe her at this point, why wouldn't it be him who's hiring her directly?"

"The political ramifications would be tremendous," Relena whispered. "He may not be a politician, and if he was I'd know, but that name still pulls in a lot of notice, even a few years after his death."

"I'm siding with 'Lena," Duo said, shaking his head to clear the haze brought on by Wufei's soft touch. "It would be easier, and more politically sound for the future, if he went through a middleman."

"Alright, so who is the middleman?" Heero growled, locking his blue eyes with those of the assassin. "Who is your boss?"

"Go to hell, 01," she snarled, making to spit at Heero, but was rocked back when Relena punched her in the face.

"Ow," the princess said, shaking her hand. "I know you taught me how to do that properly so I wouldn't break anything, Heero, but it still hurts a lot."

Heero's lips twitched up into a smile and he came over to his girlfriend to inspect her hand. "I'm proud of you," he whispered, but it still carried to the other occupants of the room. "Nothing's broken, and if you'd hit her a little harder, you might have actually broken her jaw."

Duo began snickering. "You taught the pretty, pretty princess to throw a punch? Niiiiiice." The other pilots laughed at Duo's nickname for Relena, while she blushed from the roots of her hair to the base of her neck.

"It was either that, or wonder if we could cover up the fact that she'd fractured fingers from the press," Heero answered, placing a soft, brief kiss on the woman's cheek. _'She's gotten a lot better since that time she argued with Zechs too.'_

"You taught her to throw a punch so she could properly sock her brother? That's crazy," Duo said between snickers.

"He was being particularly asinine," Relena snapped while her blush deepened.

Quatre looked up from inspecting their prisoner's face. "She can still talk, but I doubt that she will. Relena really got her good."

Trowa nodded amiably at their female friend before turning to the bound woman. "You'll tell us what we want to know, or I let Quatre at you. Or you'd rather Relena give you a repeat performance?" She stiffened before shaking her head. "Good," Trowa purred dangerously. "Now, who is your employer?"

"He goes by the name of Grumman," she said after a slight pause. "I don't know his real name. He runs a cartel on L1."

"I know who that is," Wufei growled under his breath. "Une's been trying to find someone to infiltrate his business to further our investigation. He hires out assassin contracts, smuggles guns and drugs, and helps with the prostitution in the area."

"Basically," Relena said, "anything that is illegal, he's got his finger in it?"

"That's a very apt way of putting things, but yes," Wufei answered. "If Grumman's involved in it, I'm surprised that no one's been successful in actually taking Duo out."

"What can I say?" Duo chirped with a false cheerfulness. "It's impossible to kill Death."

Heero sighed as he watched his best friend. The very fact that he was referring to himself as Death was a sign that he was going to break down soon. During the war, it had taken hours for Duo to come out of his self-imposed shell after a mission that required a lot of killing, and it was usually Heero who had to drag him out. That had been his first step into helping others when in distress and part of the reason he was able to actually communicate with others now.

A look at Chang said that he noticed as well, if the arm that snaked around Duo's waist was any indication. The sudden shy smile that the braided man gave him spoke volumes about the progress their relationship had made since the lunch where the Preventer had to be practically hit over the head to remember himself.

A quick look at Relena let Heero know that he wasn't the only one who'd noticed the casual, but intimate gesture between the two men. However, he knew too well that this wasn't the time to bring it to anyone's attention. _'I'm just glad that Chang finally decided to realize that what he was doing to Duo was about to drive all of us crazy.'_

Duo cocked his head in Heero's direction, an easy and happy smile passing quickly over his features before he turned to face the assassin that they had yet to figure how to deal with. "Heero wants to know what we're going to do with miss missy," the braided man said slyly.

"Hm, I hadn't really thought about it," Quatre said, "but, I can't imagine that this is her first time doing something like this."

"So, you're suggesting what exactly, Winner?" Wufei asked with a neutral tone

"Well, London's a huge city, Wufei," Trowa responded, obviously picking up on the blond's thoughts. "I believe there's a Preventers office here, yes?"

"Of course, Barton. Don't be stupid."

"Then, you can call in that you found her trying to break into your room," Heero said, finally catching on to what their friends were suggesting. "You're the only one who wouldn't be questioned extensively about keeping her overnight without reporting the incident to the police and Preventers right away."

"You have a point, Yuy," Wufei said, turning to face Duo. "Do you think that you could handle some light questioning?"

"I'm not a total invalid, 'Fei," Duo answered with a mildly reproachful tone. "I can handle any kind of questioning these locals try." He puffed out his chest dramatically. "I _am_ a Gundam pilot, after all."

"While you two are dealing with the locals, Trowa and I will try to find any relevant information about Grumman," Heero said before turning to Relena and Quatre. "Do you two think you can find out as much about Noventa as you possibly can?"

"Of course," they answered at the same time, making the corners of Heero's mouth twitch into a fond smile. They really were too much alike sometimes. The snort from Duo let Heero know that his best friend shared his thoughts, even if reading them without any warning was a bit annoying and invasive.

"Sorry, 'Ro," Duo whispered, making the former Wing pilot shake his head fondly.

"Don't worry about it, Duo," he answered. "How about we meet here as soon as Wufei and Duo are done with the questioning, and then we'll go from there."

"Sounds like a plan, Heero," Quatre said, getting up and going into one of the bedrooms, no doubt to do some phone work with the WEI network.

"If you run into any trouble, Duo, call me," Relena said as she moved to place a chaste kiss to their friend's cheek before going into the other bedroom to do her part. "You too, Wufei."

Duo stretched out on the couch in the hotel room he shared with Wufei, letting out a heavy sigh as his… _'What are we? Lovers? Boyfriends? Guess that's something that we'll have to talk about later.' _…friend showed the three Preventers agents from the London office out with their new guest. "Do we _have_ to go back upstairs?" he whined when the door was shut and he and Wufei were alone again.

"I suppose that we can spend some time down here," the Chinese man answered. "But, tell me, why don't you want to go back up to the others?"

"Because I just want to be with you," Duo answered quickly. He almost started cursing himself as soon as the words left his mouth, but he noticed the uncharacteristic blush on the standing man's cheeks and smiled. "When we go back, we'll have to talk about going after some guy who's mad at us for killing his dad. I really don't want to deal with that. My leg aches. I'm hungry. And Heero's stupid smiles are making me want to put my fist through his teeth."

Wufei's cheeks faded back to their original color as he raised one sable eyebrow in curiosity. "And what is Yuy so smug about?"

"He thinks we're _cute_," Duo said, emphasizing his disgust with that one word.

Wufei made a noise that sounded like he was choking. "Did he actually use _that_ word?"

"No, but he didn't have to either, 'Fei. I know him well enough to recognize that stupid smirk he wore any time he looked over at us."

"What about Winner and Barton?" Wufei asked.

"Luckily, Q, Tro and 'Lena were too preoccupied with Little Miss Killer to really pay attention, but that doesn't mean they won't be making stupid comments when we go up there." He turned big purple eyes on the Chinese man who was sitting near his feet on the couch. "So, can we stay here for a while?"

"I don't see why not… Would you like to order dinner from room service?"

'_Oh, that's good, but not exactly what I had in mind,'_ Duo thought as he eyed the other man quietly. "Sure… whatever will be fine."

Wufei cocked an eyebrow in question, but said nothing. _'One moment he's begging like a small child and the next he staring at me as if I were a prime rib dinner being placed before a starving man,'_ he thought amusedly. _'I don't know whether to worry or humor him.'_

"You can do both, I promise you," Duo whispered, pulling the other man to him and crushing their lips together in a searing kiss. Soon, all thoughts of food and the others were nonexistent.

"Where do you think they are?" Relena asked as she sat next to Heero on the couch after spending the last four hours making phone calls regarding a Nigel Noventa. "Surely the questioning is over by now." She watched as Quatre flushed and only took a moment to think before she too was blushing. "Ah, well, in that case, how about we have dinner while we wait for Duo and Wufei to… uh… join us."

Heero placed a soft kiss to her temple. "That's a rather safe way of putting it," he said. "I am hungry though. I don't remember when I ate last."

"Oh, that's a great idea," Quatre said. She noticed that his face was slowly losing the embarrassed flush. Trowa and he stood at the same time, the taller man taking the blond's hand with a secretive smile.

"Yes, and while we're eating, we can discuss what we've found," the banged man replied.

The group had just grabbed their jackets, and in Relena's case her purse, and were making their way to the door of the suite when Heero's computer made a pinging sound, alerting them to a new email. "Leave it, Heero," she said, watching as he looked from his laptop to her scowling face.

"I can't," he said, leaving her side and strolling over to read the new message. Suddenly, he stood up straight and let out a long string of cursing, in Japanese.

'_I really should learn more Japanese so he can't do that to me any longer,'_ she thought sourly. "What is it?"

"Nigel Noventa was in Barcelona two days ago, and is on the way to Paris."

TBC


	16. Travelling Plans

**Title:** The Matchmaker 16/20?  
**Author: **Makoto Sagara  
**Series:** Gundam Wing  
**Archive:** the usual suspects (ffnet, affnet, Foreverfandom, my site, mediaminer, my update LJ, and the D&DML on yahoo); anywhere else, please ask first.  
**Category**: Supernatural, Angst, Romance, Sap

**Pairings:** Eventual 2x5x2, 3x4x3, and 1xRx1  
**Rating:** T  
**Warnings:** Shonen ai, language, angst, sap, het, supernatural dealings  
**Disclaimers:** Yeah, like I own Gundam Wing. (Goes off to cry, but not before turning out pockets) I am poor as well. Flames will be used to amuse my muses. They are easily entertained, but highly obnoxious.

**A/N:** Sorry that my updating has taken so long. I've been really distracted lately. I promise to try and balance my obligations better. Thanks to Jokes for helping me get over a bit of writer's block.

**Chapter Sixteen – Travelling Plans**

Wufei stifled a groan as Duo pulled him on top of the braided man's body, rubbing a _very_ obvious erection against his leg and making his own trapped cock twitch in anticipation. Long fingers made their way into his hair, pulling out the tie and letting the dark locks fall forward as Wufei was determined to have the man underneath him panting in desire. He'd just managed to maneuver his strong hands under Duo's shirt to begin stroking the soft skin of his ribs when a very loud knock on the door interrupted them. "Tsao," he cursed against Duo's kiss-bruised lips.

"Don't answer it, 'Fei," Duo whispered hoarsely before leaning up to kiss the other man once more.

"Wufei! Duo!" Quatre's sharp voice cut through any thoughts Wufei had been harboring about what the American looked like without any clothes on. "We know you're both there."

"This better be damned important," Duo yelled as Wufei pulled reluctantly away from him with one last sweet kiss. "Otherwise, I think I will kill all four of you."

"All four," Wufei mouthed, feeling rather mortified. He really didn't relish the thought of being teased by any of his former comrades, but he liked less the thought that Relena Peacecraft knew what he and Duo had been _this_ close to doing. His arousal died instantly, and only a quick rearrangement of his clothes and tying his hair back was necessary before he felt equal to opening the door to their 'friends'.

Not that he did so with any sort of grace or welcome. However, his death glare must have had some impact on the others, for Quatre and Relena at least had the decency to look embarrassed as he moved aside to let them into the suite, and only the brief smiles he received from both Heero _and_ Trowa brought to his attention that they might have felt sorry for him.

"So sorry to interrupt you both," Quatre said calmly as his blush began to fade. "However, Heero received information about Noventa."

"He's currently on his way to Paris, as far as my informant can tell," Heero cut across the blond, sitting down in one of the chairs at the small dining table.

'_Is this divine intervention that this stupid idiot is on his way to the city where I reside?'_ Wufei thought viciously. A look at Duo was enough to know that the braided man had heard his thoughts and agreed. "Well, luckily for him, Duo and I were leaving tomorrow afternoon for Paris. Lady Une was quite adamant about my return to Preventers Headquarters since Duo is as well as we can safely wish for the time being."

"This doesn't feel right though," Relena said as she moved to sit at the table with Heero. "Perhaps he's aware that we caught his would-be assassin?"

"That's a logical assumption," Trowa said from his position of leaning against the door. "There's no way we can truly know, however."

"I still don't feel right letting Grumman run free, even if it _is_ Nigel Noventa that is the instigator of this whole situation," Quatre added.

"Actually," Duo said with a wicked smile. "Wufei was only too happy to let the name of our friend's employer. Une was _delighted_ with the information." He shuddered in mock terror. "In fact, she was sounding a bit like her _old_ self when she heard that, and it was only Sally's shout for her to remember herself that made it any easier to continue the conversation."

"She does have those moments where she forgets herself," Wufei acknowledged with a grimace. "That is neither here nor there. The point is that Grumman will be taken care of soon. She's sending in a team of Preventers made up of predominately the Maguanacs that joined, led by Auda and Abdul, to take out Grumman's little ring of criminal activity."

"That's a relief," Relena said, letting herself smile widely. "I would feel sorry for him, if I didn't find everything he did repugnant. No one is ever ready for meeting any of the Maguanacs."

Quatre shook his head in amusement. "Oh, when Auda and Abdul told me that they, Hakim, Jamal, and Kasimir were joining the Preventers, I had to warn Lady Une. She seems quite taken with them."

"That is beside the point," Heero said, obviously annoyed at the change in the direction of the conversation. "What are we going to do about Noventa?"

"Make him come to us," Duo said, earning him looks from the rest of the room. "It's obvious that he was after me because I was the least protected, yes?" He cut a brief glance at Wufei with a warm smile before turning back to address their friends. "Well, I'm not anymore."

"True," Trowa responded. "So, who is the easiest of us to take out now? Relena and Quatre are very public faces, and, once we leave the hotel, are bound to be pursued by the press. Heero and I are with them for security purposes. That only leaves Wufei, who is trained in hand-to-hand and the best shot in the Preventer ranks."

"I believe that he'd still try to take out Duo," Heero said emotionlessly. "He's injured and on painkillers. His reflexes are slowed down because of his condition, and it's impossible that he and Wufei can be together twenty-four hours a day, no matter how much we would all prefer it." He gave his friend a small shrug, who only shook his head in answer.

"So," Quatre said coolly, his mind racing behind his bright eyes. "Duo and Wufei return to Paris, and the rest of us? Relena, you have to go back to Geneva, yes?"

She sighed heavily. "Yes, but I don't _want_ to. This is the first vacation in two years that I've had, and I have to add that it's much better now that Duo is awake."

"Quatre, would you be willing to lend a few of the Maguanacs that are in the WEI security section to watch Relena in Geneva?" Heero asked, ignoring the glare from his girlfriend and earning him a punch from the girl.

"You are _not_ sending me to Geneva by myself and going after Noventa alone," she yelled.

"I'm not," he answered calmly. "I am hoping to have Rashid and two others escort you to your meetings while the rest of us deal with Noventa." He turned to the Arab man, who'd watched the exchange with a smirk. "So, your answer is?"

"Of course, Heero," Quatre responded. "I couldn't leave Relena unprotected, and you're right that Rashid is a good choice as the team leader. I'll call him when we're done here."

"So, when are we leaving?" Duo asked. Wufei carefully looked over his friend, and only saw that he was tired, hungry and angry about the entire situation. "I know that the rest of you are targets, but he's come after me at least three times that we know about. I'd like to have some kind of peace of mind soon."

"In two days," Wufei said, placing a hand on Duo's thigh, earning him a warm expression that left him anxious to be alone. "Une wants me back to work by the end of the week, especially with the Grumman and Noventa situation."

"Great," Trowa said, moving away from the door and grabbing the back of Quatre's shirt to pull him towards the hallway. "We'll talk to you later about the rest of the plans." He turned his green eyes on Wufei carefully. "And don't think that you and Duo are travelling alone until this is over. Heero, Quatre and I will be on the plane as well."

"Yes," the blond added. "And I think you're both going to be staying at my smaller house outside the city until this is all over."

"Meaning that the house that only has ten bedrooms, a pool, and twenty car garage," Duo whispered into Wufei's ear, making him snort in amusement. It was a valid assessment of the Arab's sense of scale. "I'm hungry, so either feed me or get the hell out," he said to the others. They all chuckled and made their way to the door. "And don't come back without calling first, dammit!"

When they were alone again, the American turned to Wufei with a predatory look in his violet eyes that made his stomach flip. "Now, where were we?" he purred before crashing their lips together again.

He knew he was in trouble. Relena had been quiet throughout all of lunch with Quatre and Trowa, her face set into lines of annoyance and anger. He understood why she was upset as well, but there was no changing his mind from the plan he and the other men had hammered out while they ate. She didn't want to be sent to Geneva when the rest of them were still in danger from a man who was rich enough to purchase a hit-man on one of their closest friends, not when Heero himself could be in just as much danger as Duo and Wufei. She was also aware of the danger of her prolonged exposure to the others put her in. Until it was all over, he'd be happier if she was as far away from Noventa as she could get.

Part of him wished he could call back Zechs and Noin to watch over her, but he recognized it as beyond even his power. And she'd only put up with so much of his paranoia.

When they returned to the hotel, she dragged into one of the bedrooms and slammed the door behind them. He didn't resist and waited patiently for her to gather her thoughts. He owed her at least that much. "I should fire you," Relena said stately as she sat down on one of the beds. "It would be fitting, considering the fact that you are leaving me to go handle some dangerous mission, instead of doing the job you were hired to do."

"You can," he answered. "I can have the name of some capable people who could take over your security detail, if you like."

"Don't be stupid, Heero!" She jumped up and was in his face before he could blink. He didn't even bother to reach for his gun, even though every instinct was screaming that it was a hostile situation and he needed to be ready to defend himself. It wouldn't scare her, and it wasn't truly necessary. "I don't _want_ anyone else to head my security detail, you great moron!"

"Then what?" he asked.

"I don't want you to go!"

"I have to, or else you'd be in greater danger than you are at this moment." He raised a hand slowly to rest on her pale cheek, wiping away an angry tear that had escaped her tight control. "Do you think Noventa will rest after Duo and Wufei are taken care of?"

"No, I know better. You, Quatre and Trowa would all be next," she whispered sadly, resting her head against his chest. "I… I just… I'm scared, Heero."

"I know," he responded, placing a kiss to the top of her head. "That's why I asked Quatre for Rashid. He'll keep you safe, but he won't lie to you. Besides, he admires you greatly, and would rip any person stupid enough to try to get to you into tiny pieces."

She lifted her head up and he could see a small, sad smile on her face. "He would, wouldn't he?"

"Yes, he would. Aside from the other pilots, your brother, Noin and myself, he's the only person I would trust to guard you," he said gently, kissing her lips briefly. "Don't think I do this lightly."

"I know you don't, but it doesn't mean I have to like it."

"Understood," he said, gathering her into a tight hug. "What would make you feel better, aside from me not going?"

"Promise me that you'll get him."

"Ryokai," he joked, cutting their argument short by giving her a very passionate kiss. He couldn't help but smile as she melted into him and returned the embrace. Now, he just had to make sure that he did what he'd promised her. Or else…

"Rashid was only too happy to agree to help watch Relena," Quatre told Heero the next morning. "He said that he's bringing Akil and Shariff with him. I don't know if you met them before, but they went through some pretty extensive training specifically geared towards protection."

"Those three are the ones that I have watch Quatre when he's out and about," Trowa answered, stroking the blond's thigh under the breakfast table while calmly sipping at his coffee. "Relena will be safe as she can be when you're not around."

"Thank you," Heero said, ignoring the scowl on his girlfriend's face. "She'll thank you later, once she's over being mad at me."

"Relena," Quatre started, moving a hand to rest comfortably on one of her own. "I know that you don't want any of us to go. It doesn't take an empath or telepath to know that you're worried, but the five of us will be safer together, especially if we don't have to worry about protecting you as well."

"I know that, Quatre," Relena snapped, jerking her hand back as if burned by his touch. "I just don't like this. Any of it. I told Heero as much last night, and I thought that I'd come to terms with it, but this man is trying to _kill_ you. All of you. And you're just walking up to him, saying 'come and get me', for fuck's sake. You can't expect me to be thrilled with it."

Trowa raised an eyebrow at the woman, who flushed in embarrassment, while Heero and Quatre traded mildly shocked looks. Relena didn't curse often (not at all, really), and the fact that she had brought home just how upset she was. "Relena, no one's asking you to like this plan. However, it is the best, and if you're safe, Heero will be able to concentrate on our objective," the blond man finally said after a few moments of reflection.

"I know," she replied quietly. "When will Rashid and the others be here?"

"In a few hours, I'd guess. They're only in Morocco. Are you already packed?" Heero asked.

"No, I'll go do that now," she said, leaving before anyone could stop her.

"She's really upset, Heero," Quatre said after an uncomfortable silence settled between the three men.

"I've noticed, Quatre," Heero shot back, obviously testy. "She threatened to fire me last night."

"Hm, she must be really upset if she's channeling Duo's lack of proper language and threatening to fire you," Trowa mused. "But she knows that this is for the best, so she'll put up with it. You'll have to do something to get back on her good side, though, Heero."

"Yeah, but it'll be worth it to have her safe," the Japanese man said.

Four hours later found the five former Gundam pilots getting off of an express bullet train from Victoria Station in London to Calais, France on the other side of the English Channel. Duo stretched a bit, wincing as the top of one of his crutches dug into his armpit. The Calais station was packed with men, women, teens, and children, all speaking quickly and loudly. After the relative quiet of the hospital and the hotel, the swarm of human minds all going at the same time was like being dumped in the middle of a foghorn.

"Are you alright, Duo?" Wufei asked anxiously. The braided man turned and shook his head with a grimace.

"Too loud," he managed through clenched teeth. "Head feels like it's going to explode."

"Lady Une provided a car outside of the station," the Chinese man whispered directly into his ear, his hot, teasing breath doing distracting things that were making his headache take a backburner to his lust. "If we can get you out there, it'll be quieter."

Duo nodded, trying to make his brain actually put some meaning into Wufei's words, aside from the fact of how he sounded during their mutual wank-off the night before. "Please," he said thickly.

The five men walked quickly, Duo abandoning his crutches to Quatre's care while Heero and Wufei helped him move fast through the station. They had just made it to the relatively quieter street where a black SUV was indeed waiting when a nondescript man came up behind them, quickly joined by two other men, who were obviously hired muscle.

"No one makes any stupid moves, and we can all avoid a very public scene," he growled. "Get in the car and keep your hands where I can see them. 04, drop the crutches. 02 won't need them. 05, carry 02 since you're so fond of him. And remember, if any of you do anything stupid, I will just shoot 01 and 03." The man's gun dug into Heero's back while another was shoved into Quatre's and the third was shoved into Trowa's back.

Slowly and carefully, the five pilots got into the car, where the driver turned around with an impressive automatic weapon that he pointed directly between Duo's eyes. "Good afternoon, gentlemen," he said smoothly. "I'm sorry if my men were abrupt with you. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Nigel Noventa, and I believe that we have some unfinished business."

TBC


	17. Unfinished Business

**Title:** The Matchmaker 17/20?  
**Author: **Makoto Sagara  
**Series:** Gundam Wing  
**Archive:** the usual suspects (ffnet, affnet, Foreverfandom, my site, mediaminer, my update LJ, and the D&DML on yahoo); anywhere else, please ask first.  
**Category**: Supernatural, Angst, Romance, and Sap  
**Pairings:** Eventual 2x5x2, 3x4x3, and 1xRx1  
**Rating:** M (this chapter)  
**Warnings:** Shonen ai, language, angst, sap, het, supernatural dealings, action (this chapter), some torture and blood, violence, death  
**Disclaimers:** Yeah, like I own Gundam Wing. (Goes off to cry, but not before turning out pockets) I am poor as well. Flames will be used to amuse my muses. They are easily entertained, but highly obnoxious.  
**A/N:** Sorry that my updating has taken so long. I got sucked into writing Harry Potter for a while and then there was that Fest fic that had a deadline. *shudder* I don't know why I did that. Thanks to Yuki for pushing me to write something else while stressed and to Jokes for the awesome beta job, as always!

**Chapter Seventeen – Unfinished Business**

Relena sighed as Rashid, Shariff and Akil walked her to the limo that was waiting to take her to Heathrow. By now, the former Gundam Pilots would be in Paris, getting ready to start the operation to take down Noventa. She grimaced as she thought about her boyfriend and their friends in danger.

"Is there something wrong, Ms. Peacecraft?" Rashid asked as the car pulled away from the hotel.

"No, not really, Rashid," she answered quietly. "I'm just worried."

"I understand. When Master Quatre explained the situation, I tried to convince him to let me send some of the Maguanacs, but he and Master Trowa were quite adamant that they and the rest of the pilots would be sufficient for this mission." The tall Arab man scowled. "I didn't tell him that I sent ten of the others to his house outside of Paris. He will be angry at me for doing so without his permission, but that is why I did not tell him."

"Have I told you lately how much I love you, Rashid?"

"No, Ms. Peacecraft, but I will keep that in mind the next time that the Master and his friends do something potentially dangerous and stupid." She gave the man a small smile. "If you'd like to rest until we arrive at the airport, I will wake you when we get there."

"Thank you, Rashid," she said, feeling lighter as she took his advice and closed her eyes. She'd need all the rest she could get while in Geneva and dealing with the rest of the politicians. Perhaps she'd even forgive Heero for abandoning her while he went off since Quatre lent her Rashid and all his thoughtfulness.

Quatre quietly assessed their captor as the car pulled away from the train station in Calais. Nigel Noventa appeared to be about thirty or so, with straight brown hair cut conservatively and brown eyes that held a nearly fanatical gleam that set Quatre's sense of self-preservation into overdrive. They were the eyes of a man who was sure he was doing the right thing and would stop at nothing to get his objective accomplished. He'd seen that look in many of the troops of OZ and Romefeller, including Une a time or ten, and it was the same look he'd worn when he'd been building Wing Zero after his father's death. He could feel the hatred and excitement coming off the other man in waves.

'_Duo, can you hear me?'_ he thought, sparing a look at his friend, who nodded wearily. _'Noventa's not sane. Look at his eyes. We have to get him. He won't stop with us, you know.'_ Duo nodded again, closing his large violet eyes for a moment. _'Can you read his mind?'_ Duo nodded a third time, a look of disgust crossing his face. _'Not a fun place, I take it.'_ Duo shook his head and Noventa shoved his gun back behind the driver's seat, aimed at Heero this time, as the car stopped at a red light.

"Ah, ah, 04 and 02, no silent communication between the specials," he said in a sing-song voice. "Otherwise, I'll be forced to shoot 01, and I'm sure Queen Relena wants her boy-toy back in one piece."

"We are not foolish enough to think that you would let us go unharmed," Wufei snarled as he wrapped an arm around Duo's waist protectively. Quatre could feel the hatred, love, anxiety and possessiveness that Wufei exuded in bright flashes.

"I'm glad that you're showing signs of intelligence, 05, but I'm not really surprised," Noventa continued in his sing-song tone. "Although, I should have known better. You always have been a smart boy, haven't you, Mr. Chang?"

Wufei glared at Noventa, and Quatre watched as the man's smile slipped a few degrees into something that appeared nervous. _'Well, he's not as stupid as he appears. Although, anyone with brains in their head knows it's actually Duo when he's smiling that you need to watch out for. Hm, but Trowa, Heero and Wufei _do_ make impressive decoys.'_ The blond looked at Duo, who flashed him a manic smile.

Quatre slowly put his hands on his thighs as he continued to stare ahead, watching as the business section of the city melted into residential buildings. _'Duo, we're headed towards the suburbs. That would put us somewhere between Calais and Paris. There's only about fifty or sixty kilometers between them.'_ He could feel the surprise and joy flash from his long-haired friend and couldn't help but give a small grin himself. They were relatively close to Preventers Headquarters. Wufei knew the terrain, and Duo was pissed and near maniacal. _'Oh, Noventa is fucked, right?'_ The nod he got in return felt like hope.

Duo hid a grimace behind his joker's mask, something that he was glad he'd retained from the wars. That bastard Noventa seemed to think that Duo was being friendly, and he wanted to laugh at the man's stupidity.

Wufei's arm was still wrapped around his waist, and the Chinese man's body heat helped him ignore the way his leg was beginning to throb from the awkward position their kidnapper had forced him into and the fact that he was sitting on his braid. He leaned heavily into the other man's side, trying to soak up as much comfort as he could in this situation.

He knew that Noventa and his men were looking more at Heero, Trowa and Wufei than him and Quatre, and he could tell from the blond's thoughts that they should take advantage of that fact. It felt odd to try and hide his lanky, nearly six-foot frame with Wufei's slim, five-foot, six-inch body, but it worked. Wufei's anger made the Chinese man _feel_ bigger physically than he was, and Duo was extremely grateful for it and that he had no clue what Wufei was repeating to himself in Cantonese. It was probably better he didn't know anyway.

Of course, Quatre had it easy, since Trowa had six inches, forty pounds, and all that hair for the smaller Arab man to use to disguise his scary insanity behind. His tall European friend was blank – both in mind and facial features. Duo _knew_ that was when Trowa was his deadliest. He didn't have to _think_ to kill. He just did it.

And Heero, even though he was only five-foot, ten inches and would never be anything but "athletic" when described physically, seemed to take up more room in the back of the car than any of the thugs Noventa had hired. The fact that he hadn't talked yet didn't really mean anything so far, but Duo could hear him planning possible escape routes and taking inventory of what weapons he had on his person. It would only take one touch from any of their enemies before they were faced with The Perfect Soldier.

Duo wanted to begin laughing until he cried.

Noventa and his men were _so_ fucked.

The car stopped and Heero obeyed the order to get out of the car. Wordlessly, he turned to help Duo get out of the car, but was stopped by a sharp shake of the American's head. Chang left the vehicle and then turned, took one of Duo's hands and began pulling, despite Duo's protests.

"I can get out the fucking car by myself, _Wufei_," Duo snarled as he leaned against the side of the SUV while Quatre and Trowa followed their braided friend.

Something was off with the way that Quatre was practically shielding himself behind Trowa and how Duo was using Wufei to stand between him and the thugs. Heero looked at his best friend and frowned. He could see the sharp gleam in Duo's wide eyes, the obvious pain laced with amusement that Heero had seen repeatedly during the wars. It was then that it clicked. _'You and Quatre have a plan, don't you?'_ Duo nodded at him briefly. _'Do you want me to hold Wufei back while you both act?'_ Another nod. _'Ryokai.'_

"Well, gentlemen, if you would be so kind as to join me inside this lovely warehouse, then we can get down to business," Noventa said kindly, putting Heero's hackles up.

"Listen, Nigel ol' boy, none of us believe that you have a decent bone in your body, so you might as well cut the act," Duo said as he pushed away from the black vehicle and limped his way towards the building with his own strange, feline grace.

"02, I really don't care what you think, to be honest," Noventa said as he shoved his gun into the American's back. Heero managed to pull Wufei back in time to keep him from jumping their kidnapper. He looked over at the Preventer and shook his head minutely. When he shot his eyes towards Duo and then Quatre, he could see something click in the shorter man's face and he scowled furiously.

"You only plan to kill us, Noventa," Quatre added sharply. Heero had to smother the urge to twitch. How Trowa could stand so close to the blond when he sounded like that, he couldn't fathom. Heero, himself, was trying desperately not to think about space and then the long trip to Sanq and their meeting with Dorothy Catalonia. "You'll have to forgive us if we call bullshit on your overly friendly behaviour."

"Yes, you're absolutely correct, 04," the armed man said before turning to his hired muscle. "Search them for weapons now."

One by one, the pilots were searched and relieved of their weapons, which weren't that impressive, considering what they used to carry on them during the wars. A few pistols and a sheathed knife from Quatre were all that they found. Heero looked at the paltry assortment and wondered just how many knives Duo and Trowa had hidden. While his own pistol and back-up side arm were all of the actual weapons Heero kept on him, he knew that he could probably kill one of the thugs if pushed. The same held true for Wufei as well.

"I said search them for weapons, not feel up 04, you moron," Noventa snapped, causing the muscle that was searching Quatre to flush and jump back.

"Don't worry, friend," Quatre said with nearly no inflection in his voice. "You're hardly my type."

"Oh, we're all aware of what your type is, 04," Noventa said, backhanding Quatre across his face with his gun. Both Wufei and Heero lunged for Trowa, who'd attempted to wrap his strong hands around Noventa's throat while the thugs all turned their guns on the taller pilot. Heero spared a look at the now ignored Duo, who was wearing a cold, brittle smile. It was enough for the former Wing pilot, who stepped back and dragged his friends with him as Duo and Quatre both leapt upon Noventa. With a blink of an eye, Trowa and Wufei were exchanging blows with the two thugs who'd remained silent throughout the entire trip. Heero turned to the other man, the first, and readied himself.

As the darker man cocked the hammer of his pistol – a rather stupid weapon for him to have in the age of cheap automatic guns – Heero gave a slight smile and dropped to his knees, kicked out and watched as his opponent crumbled to the ground. Suddenly, J's words from so many years ago came to the front of his mind. _'You can take down the biggest man by shattering his knee, young Heero Yuy. Remember that not all battles are fought with guns and swords and you may just live through the wars.'_

His target appeared to have gotten over the shock of having his legs kicked out from under him and was aiming for Heero again when the Japanese man kicked out, his foot connecting with the other man's head this time with a resounding snap before he slumped to the ground. Not caring if he'd killed the man or not, Heero looked over at Wufei and Trowa, to find them tying the hired thugs they'd fought with together with the zip ties that Wufei dug out of his jacket pocket.

Noventa's 'help' taken care of, Heero and his two friends turned around to check up on Duo and Quatre. And quickly looked away again.

Wufei stared at his tied up captor and had to hold back the vicious glee he felt over the fact that he'd lost none of his hand-to-hand combat skills while being a Preventer. He looked over at Barton to find the European snapping his 'captor's' fingers one by one. The normally composed and steady Trowa looked as if he could happy kill the man he was leaning over, and the harsh look in the normally chilly green eyes had Wufei wondering what universe he'd stepped into.

It was with great reluctance, however, that he stepped over to his friend to stop him. "Barton, if you kill him, I'll have to handle the paperwork, and you'll have to baby-sit Duo," he said gently into the other man's ear, waiting. "And I'll make sure that he's had some of Winner's coffee beforehand."

Wufei could tell when his words reached his friend and held back a sigh of relief. He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out another zip tie so that Barton could secure the man he still held down bodily. It was then he turned to see Yuy kick the head goon in the chin and watched the man's head snap back with a sickening crunch that Wufei knew meant more paperwork.

As one, the three pilots turned to the other two members of their group, and Wufei had to smother the rush of horror that swept through him. Blood marred their normally sweet-looking faces, and there was blood in Duo's thigh-length braid, and the face of the man they'd attacked as one was unrecognizable.

"Duo, you have to let him go," Wufei shouted, catching the braided man's eyes and shaking his head. He turned to Barton, who appeared to be smiling as he watched the two unstable men. "Barton, get Winner. Yuy, assist me with Duo."

"I think you should just them kill him, truthfully, Wufei," Barton said, not making a move to stop the blond. "I'm sure there's less paperwork involved if he dies than if he goes to trial."

"Yes, but if he dies, we lose the link to Grumman, and Une wants him more," Wufei snarled.

"And do you think that Noventa can't just buy his way to freedom and come back after us all?" Barton asked; his voice anything but the calm and level tones Wufei was used to hearing from the other man.

"No, and I _really_ wish I could let him die, but I _can't_! So, either you help me stop them, or I have you arrested for manslaughter!"

"Chang, help me," Yuy snapped as he made his way towards Duo slowly. The braided head popped up sharply, and Wufei took a deep breath to keep in the fear he felt at meeting what he could only assume was Duo's ferocious persona, Shinigami.

TBC

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	18. FacetoFace With Death

**Title:** The Matchmaker 18/20?  
**Author: **Makoto Sagara  
**Series:** Gundam Wing  
**Archive:** the usual suspects (ffnet, affnet, Foreverfandom, my site, mediaminer, my update LJ, and the D&DML on yahoo); anywhere else, please ask first.  
**Category**: Supernatural, Angst, Romance, and Sap  
**Pairings:** Eventual 2x5x2, 3x4x3, and 1xRx1  
**Rating:** M (this chapter)  
**Warnings:** Shonen ai, language, angst, sap, het, supernatural dealings, action (this chapter), some torture and blood, violence  
**Disclaimers:** Yeah, like I own Gundam Wing. (Goes off to cry, but not before turning out pockets) I am poor as well. Flames will be used to amuse my muses. They are easily entertained, but highly obnoxious.  
**A/N:** La la la, many thanks to Yuki-chan. She knows what she did! I enjoyed writing last chapter. It was an awesome break from reality and the fact that I was under so much pressure. Thanks to all of my reviewers! I love you guys. And Jokes, I can't tell you how much I adore you and your awesome beta skills and amusing comments!

**Chapter Eighteen – Face-to-Face With Death**

**Trowa watched with some anxiety as Wufei and Heero approached Duo. He spared a look to Quatre, who seemed to be horrified at what he and the other pilot had done. Without thinking, Trowa pulled Quatre over to him, ignoring the fact that the blond was covered in the blood of the man who'd kidnapped the five of them. He felt it was a small price to pay, in light of the situation.**

**"Oh, what have I done, Trowa?" Quatre whispered.**

**"He hit you across the face**** with his weapon. I feel that you reacted normally," Trowa answered flatly. "If Heero and Wufei hadn't stopped me, I'm sure that you wouldn't have had to worry about having his blood all over your clothes."**

**Light blue eyes met his****, but Trowa couldn't read what was going on behind them. ****_'Now is one of the few times that I wouldn't mind having Duo's new ability. Or even Quatre's.'_**** He frowned. "What?"**

**Quatre shook his head, blond hair obscuring his face. "How are they trying to stop Duo?"**

**"I don't know, but I don't think it's going to be too terribly difficult. He's still injured."**

**"Trowa, you've never really had to fight side by side with him like this, have you?" Something in Quatre's voice made Trowa pause. The only thing close he could think of was ****that it was fear, paralyzing fear. He shook his head slowly. "Duo doesn't feel pain. I've seen him fight with a broken arm and shattered ribs."**

**"Then, how are we…" Trowa couldn't finish that question. He didn't think he wanted to know the answer.**

**"Hopefully, Heero remembers how to deal with him."**

**Heero calculated what the main issue was in their current situation. Noventa and his thugs had been neutralized****, one way or another. Quatre was standing back with Trowa, obviously back to his normal self, for which Heero was truly grateful. Chang seemed to be favoring his right arm, but that probably wasn't going to slow him down. He, himself, had twisted his foot when he'd kicked his target. And he and Chang were face-to-face with Shinigami.**

**'_Fuck,'_**** he mentally swore. He raced to try and remember how many times he'd seen this side of his normally maniacally happy friend. ****_'Too few, if now is any indication.'_**

**He watched as the braided man gracefully prowled the fallen Noventa, no doubt wondering what to do next to him. Heero knew that he and Chang would have to strike and do it quickly. "Chang, we'll have to knock him out."**

**"He's already injured, Yuy," Chang snarled, refusing to take his eyes off of Duo. Heero was forced to respect the fact that the Chinese pilot understood the danger that his boyfriend was, even if he was being stupid about how to handle him.**

**"The only way to put Shinigami back in the box, as Duo likes to say, is to either knock him out cold or shock his body in another way."**

**"And if we don't?"**

**"He could turn on us," Quatre said from his position of relative safety. "Wufei, I know that you don't want to hurt Duo any more than he already is, but he won't feel pain right now. And if you hesitate, he'll use it against you."**

"What do you suggest then, Winner?" Chang asked, still eyeing the braided man as he gave them all a cruel smile.

"That you take Heero's advice and quickly. He's the most experienced with Duo and this side of him."

"Fuck," the Chinese man growled. "Alright, what's your plan, Yuy?"

"Follow my lead," Heero said, before jumping across Noventa's body to tackle Shinigami. He was rewarded with a sharp punch to his jaw that dazed him for a few beats before he returned the strike with as much strength he could gather.

"**It's nice to see you're taking this seriously, Yuy,"** Duo's baritone nearly crooned before grabbing Heero's closest arm and yanking on it. Heero could hear his shoulder scream as the limb was nearly wrenched out of the ball socket. **"It's been so long since I've been able to play."**

"It's time to go back to sleep now," Heero said through clenched teeth, moving with the other man's pulling to ease the pressure on his practically useless arm. "You're not needed anymore."

"**I don't think so," **was the reply he received before he felt cold steel sink into a jean-clad leg. **"Duo keeps me locked up so tightly, and that's no fun. I much prefer to hear the screams of my enemies than the laughter of children."**

Heero grunted in pain as he tried to move the leg that still had Duo's hunting knife sticking out of it. _'Relena's going to be so pissed that I got injured, and it's not going to matter who did it either,´_ he thought giddily, forcing the pain down so that he could deal with the homicidal maniac in front of him. He could see Chang moving to help him, but unfortunately, so did Shinigami.

"**I wouldn't do that, Chang,"**__Shinigami said merrily as he pushed down on the knife in Heero's leg. It was too much, and Heero screamed with the action. **"You see what happens when you try to double team me? I don't play fair. You should know that by now."**

"Duo, let Heero go," Quatre shouted ineffectually. "You're going to hate yourself later!"

"**Ah, there's good old Winner. I was wondering where my buddy went. You should have stayed to play some more. The bastard's still breathing."**

"He can't be killed, Duo," Heero whispered.

"**Oh, but he can, Yuy. All I have to do is take the knife that is currently in your leg and put it through his throat. Or, I could use one of the many others that are in my lovely braid. They never think to check the hair, do they?" **The laughter he gave was cold, bitterly cold, and not remotely the slightest bit sane. **"Then, he would never be able to hurt anyone again. Rather poetic, don't you think, for him to be killed by the man he hired others to kill?"**

"Death's too good for him," Heero said, blinking his eyes rapidly to keep the moisture back. He couldn't afford to show weakness of any kind in front of Shinigami. He'd make Heero pay for it if he did. "If he's dead, it's over. If he lives, he sits in a cell before he's tried before the entire Earth Sphere Union, which is led by Relena. He won't be buying his way out of this."

"**Pretty words, Yuy, but I don't trust you and your silly girlfriend to help in this situation."**__Cold violet eyes stared down at Heero. It was the soft smile that was definitely at odds with the rest of what was going on that alerted him to the danger he was in as Shinigami's prisoner. **"I could just take care of you and deal with the consequences later, but where's the fun in that?"**

Heero really didn't want to hurt his friend, but he was slowly running out of options as time progressed. He had to act before anything else happened. Besides, his leg really _hurt_ now and he wanted to subdue Duo before he collapsed. With a silent apology to the former Deathscythe pilot, Heero balled up his fist and punched Duo right in the nose. As he fell to the hard ground, he saw violet eyes widen in surprised before they rolled back and Chang rushed to catch the braided man before he incurred any more damage. It was then that he let his mind go blank and passed out.

Wufei quickly categorized Duo's wounds – the broken nose from Yuy's punch, the shallow scratch marks on his arms from Noventa, the blood that covered him in a sort of garish paint – and decided that the man in his arms would live but be in a lot more pain than he'd been in previously. Carefully, he placed Duo on the ground and used his Preventer's jacket as a pillow for his head. He sighed in relief. They were all alive, even if they were injured, but Noventa had been caught.

"Winner, watch over Duo," Wufei barked out as he took his cellphone from his jacket pocket. "Barton, stop Yuy's bleeding. I'm going to get someone here to clean this up." Both men nodded before heading to their assignments and Wufei sighed in frustration. _'All the paperwork involved in this mess is going to take me until next year,' _he thought sourly as he dialed the number to the Preventers' Headquarters in Paris.

"Well, well, well, look what the cat drug in," Sally Po's voice teased across the line. "What can I do for you, Wufei?"

"Why are you manning Une's line?" he snapped.

"Because she's on a conference call with Peacecraft and her political cronies in Geneva," Po answered light-heartedly. "And since she only trusts four people in her office and I'm the only one of those here, I was the logical person."

"Fine," he said through clenched teeth. He'd forgotten how annoying Po could be when left on her own with virtually nothing to do. "I need a cleanup crew sent to…" He looked around at the area he was. "I have no clue. It's in the outskirts of Calais. Can you trace my coordinates through my phone?"

"Child's play," she sing-songed. "What's happened?"

"Noventa kidnapped us as we left the train station. Yuy is injured, as is Duo. The rest of us have sustained minor injuries, but we have four targets that need to be taken in for questioning." He kicked at the man Heero had subdued. "Scratch that – three to be questioned and one to be bagged and tagged."

"Lovely. I'll send a bus and two units to take the suspects back. Should I let Une know before or after her call?"

"I'll leave that up to you, Preventer Water."

"I hate you, Wufei," she pouted. Sometimes, he wondered how she'd managed to become a doctor and a major in the rebel forces while acting like such a brat half the time. At least Duo…

"Sally, you'd better make that order for two buses. We had a run-in with Shinigami."

"Who was the primary contact?" She was serious now.

"Yuy."

"Fuck," she swore. "Alright, it'll be twenty minutes. Everyone's secure, right?"

"Affirmative."

"I'll see everyone when you get here." Wufei made to hang up, but Sally's voice caught his attention again. "Oh, Wufei?"

"Yes, Po?"

"I'm not helping you with the paperwork on this one. You're bringing me enough, as is."

He growled and snapped his phone shut with more force that was necessary. "Twenty minutes and we'll be heading to headquarters."

Duo sighed as he looked around the _very_ familiar garden. He really thought that after the last time, he wouldn't be seeing the angels again. It irritated him to be back there. He didn't care what the two meddling supernatural creatures, or their Master, wanted from him. He wanted to know if his friends were okay and if Noventa had been dealt with. "Alright, guys, you can come out now. This is getting kinda old. I was really enjoying not seeing you two clowns every time I closed my eyes."

"Aw, Thaz, isn't he a sweet kid?" the white-haired and clad angel said as he and his darker counterpart appeared before Duo.

"I dunno, Maximus," the darker angel answered. "He looks a little irked to me."

"Well, you would be pissed if you were kidnapped by a man that had been trying to kill you for months, along with your lover and friends, as well!" Duo snarled, feeling a blinding pain behind his large eyes. "What the hell do you want this time?"

"Since the last time we spoke with you, we were forced to watch from the sidelines, with no contact," Maximus answered, folding his white wings against his body before sitting down on the lush grass. "This time, we've come with permission."

"O-kay? So?" Duo was _not_ impressed with his companions.

"Alright, Mr. I-Don't-Really-Know-Who-I-Am," Thazerus said, sitting next to his friend. "The Master has a proposition for you."

"Oh, and what does your mysterious Master have to offer me that I care to hear?" Duo asked, slightly curious by this point.

"You are aware of the other side of your personality, are you not?" Maximus asked.

"Kinda, it's not like I am _really_ in control when I switch into Shinigami-mode though," he answered, taking a sit across from the angels and rubbing his temples. "Is there a point to this?"

"You have a choice to make, Duo Maxwell," Thazerus said, pulling on the dark strands of his hair. "We can take one thing from you that you cannot control."

"You mean you can make this stupid mind-reading shit go away? I was just getting used to it, kinda. I mean, being around crowds sucks, but otherwise, it's not so bad."

"We can take away your telepathy," Maximus stated calmly, "or Shinigami."

"What is your decision, Duo?" Thazerus asked seriously.

TBC  
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	19. Cleaning Up the Messes Made By Others

**Title:** The Matchmaker 19/20?  
**Author: **Makoto Sagara  
**Series:** Gundam Wing  
**Archive:** the usual suspects (ffnet, affnet, Foreverfandom, my site, mediaminer, my update LJ, and the D&DML on yahoo); anywhere else, please ask first.  
**Category**: Supernatural, Angst, Romance, and Sap  
**Pairings:** Eventual 2x5x2, 3x4x3, and 1xRx1  
**Rating:** T+  
**Warnings:** Shonen ai, language, angst, sap, het, supernatural dealings  
**Disclaimers:** Yeah, like I own Gundam Wing. (Goes off to cry, but not before turning out pockets) I am poor as well. Flames will be used to amuse my muses. They are easily entertained, but highly obnoxious.  
**A/N:** Wow, so, Shini or telepathy? What's Duo going to choose? Wouldn't you like for me to tell you that? Well, I'm not! At least not in the Author's Notes. But review when you're done to tell me what you thought of this chapter! Thanks go to Jokes for all her help with beta'ing and putting up with my psycho muses.

**Chapter Nineteen –**** Cleaning Up the Messes Made By Others**

"You can't be serious!" Duo yelled, yanking on the end of his braid in frustration. "You can't expect me to be able to tell you on the fly which I want to get rid of. Do you even _know_ what the hell it is you're asking?"

"Certainly," Maximus answered calmly, seeming unruffled by the building anger in the human. "You can either lose the part of your personality that you cannot control, the part that could kill your friends without blinking, or your more recent gift of telepathy." He looked over at his darker companion. "Isn't that the case, Thazerus?"

"Yes," the black coloured angel said with a yawn. "It is not…how do you humans say it...brain surgery?"

"It's not so simple," Duo whispered, allowing himself to crumple to the soft grass of the supernatural garden. "Shini's been a part of me for a very long time. Without that, I would have died on the streets of L2 before I even found Solo."

"He is also responsible for injuring your friend Heero numerous times," Maximus said gently. "Do you really wish to keep such a dangerous side? How would you be able to deal with things if you harmed your lover? Or killed one of the other pilots?"

"I hurt Heero again, didn't I?" Duo asked, wanting to cry but staying surprisingly dry-eyed.

"Yes," Thazerus answered. "I will not coddle you, human. You threatened to kill him and hurt the one you call Wufei."

"I didn't actually hurt 'Fei, did I?" Violet eyes turned to stare at the angels, desperation leaking out. "He's okay, yeah?"

"Wufei is fine, aside from some minor damage that occurred from fighting with one of the captors," Maximus said. "It is your friend Heero who was hurt the most."

"What did I do to him?" The human was barely audible, but they understood what he wanted to know.

"You stabbed him in the thigh with a knife, after twisting his arm out of its socket. It was a rather impressive display, if one goes for the whole violent angle."

"Aw, Relena's gonna kill me for this," Duo wailed, tugging on his braid again. "I'm glad it wasn't something worse, but… It wasn't really me."

"You friend understands that, and I do believe that your lover has seen you as Shinigami a time or two, yes?"

"Yeah, I think Tro was the only one who hadn't been there during a battle where I missed the last half." Duo desperately tried to use his telepathy to see if he could reach his friends, but all he heard was the harshness of his own breathing.

"While you are here, your powers will not work," Thazerus said conversationally. "There will be no outside influences while you make up your mind. In fact, Max, let's take a walk while the human thinks."

"Excellent idea, Thaz," Maximus said, getting up from the ground and walking off with the other angel after he had risen as well.

Alone, Duo looked up at the electric blue sky of the garden and let his mind –blessedly his own and without the thoughts of others– wander for a while. _The way I see it, I have two very tempting options. If I get rid of Shini, I don't have to worry about killing anyone indiscriminately anymore. That's a plus. If I get rid of the telepathy, I won't have to hear all the thoughts of everyone around me. It'll avoid all those pesky moments between Q and T-rex. That's nice. But, the telepathy thing was cool with Q in the car. It made planning our escape way easier._

_If I keep Shini, Une's going to want to make me work for the Preventers full time. I can pretty much see it now. I'm already unpredictable in her mind, which is kinda true, I guess; but in battle situations, I'd be a liability. If I keep the telepathy, I guess I could still become a Preventer, but less of a field agent and more of an interrogator or investigator. That'd be sorta cool. I just… I dunno what I want to do._

Wufei's face from that morning flashed across Duo's closed eyes, and he knew what he was going to do. Sighing, he stood up and called for the angels, who appeared on demand. "I've made up my mind."

Wufei held onto Duo's hand in the ambulance as they travelled back to Preventer Headquarters. Trowa and Quatre had opted to ride with the unconscious Heero, while the third ambulance carried Noventa. There was a coroner's van behind the third emergency vehicle, and two SUVs brought up the rear of the group. It had taken everything Wufei had not to start yelling when the rookies he'd _trained_ had attempted to tell him that he had to ride in the SUVs with the restrained suspects. It felt beyond stupid that he'd had to pull rank before the idiots shut up and let him sit with his lover.

Duo hadn't moved since Heero had laid him out, and Wufei wasn't sure if he should be grateful or not. He could see the American's eyelids flickering, which meant he was dreaming, and breathed a little easier, but he knew that he wasn't going to be completely happy until he saw Duo's violet eyes staring up at him and giving him that stupid, lopsided grin that made his heart flutter.

He was shaken from his staring when the vehicle stopped and the doors opened up. One of the EMTs gave him a weak smile. "Okay, Preventer Chang, we're here at headquarters. We've got to get Mr. Maxwell to Doctor Po, and Lady Une's requested to see you right away."

"Thank you," Wufei said formally, letting go of his lover's hand hesitantly. "You will find me if he wakes up."

"I'll make sure that the doctor knows to find you right away," the man said.

It took everything in him to not demand that the man find him _himself_ if Duo woke up. He understood that he had a job to do and that he was performing it to the best of his abilities, but even that didn't comfort Wufei. With a curt nod of his head, he stormed out of the emergency vehicle bay and made his way to Lady Une's office. He blew passed the woman's poor secretary, who appeared to be near tears anyway. "Don't get up, Christina," he said as he opened the door.

"Well, Chang, how nice of you to finally show back up at headquarters," Une said snidely as she looked up from the papers on her desk. "I was beginning to think that you had forgotten about your actual position here."

"Hardly," he retorted, sitting down in one of the chairs before her desk. He didn't bother waiting for her to allow him to sit. She was angry, and would forget about the niceties. "I was with Maxwell. He woke up not even a week ago. I am back. I will be returning to my active duties in two days."

"Oh, I'm so glad to hear that you think that's the case," Une said, shoving a few pieces of paper into his face. "I've been receiving calls from Vice-Minister Peacecraft every fifteen minutes since noon. You can imagine that she was _not_ happy to hear that we had lost contact with your group in Calais."

"I can imagine a lot of things about Relena Peacecraft, but I didn't think that she was my priority, considering that Noventa and some hired thugs kidnapped at gunpoint before we could reach the vehicle you provided." There, that wiped the snarl off of the redheaded woman's face. She took her spectacles off and Wufei could see how tired and haggard she was from everything going on. "Would you like a verbal report or shall I have to write this whole stupid thing out for you?"

"Verbal will do for now, Chang," she said calmly. "If needed, you can write the report tomorrow."

"Noted," he responded before going into details of the entire time he was away. She asked few questions, and only smirked when he grew uncomfortable talking about Duo in too much detail. "After Shinigami was subdued, I called headquarters and had Po send us backup. I came to your office as soon as I left the ambulance with Maxwell in it."

"So, Noventa, Maxwell, Yuy, Winner _and_ Barton are all guests in my infirmary?" she asked with an amused smile.

"There is also a dead body in your morgue," Wufei stated coolly. He'd been in the woman's office for nearly half an hour, and he was worried about Duo. "Not that you should care about that. I'm sure the local coroner will love hearing about it."

"Hardly, but that's not his call, now is it? The man attacked Yuy; he should have known better, and I doubt that Yuy's main object was to kill." Wufei shrugged. Sometimes, it was hard to tell with Yuy, and they both knew that. "Moving on. I have some questions about Maxwell."

"What would you like to know?" Wufei asked, keeping a tight lid on his irrational anger when his lover was mentioned.

"First of all, do you think that his reversal into Shinigami can be controlled?"

"No, I think that once that dam is open, it is far too late to worry about floods."

"Do you think that he reverted to Shinigami because of the situation or for other reasons?"

"I could hardly tell you, Lady Une, but if I had to rely on supposition, I would say it was because of the situation. There have been no strange mass murders on L2 since Maxwell went there to live on his own. In fact, I spoke with a local police officer on his particular colony while I was in the cafeteria at the hospital. He said that crime –especially gang related crime– was down significantly near the scrap yard Maxwell and Schiedebeker run and the orphanage they help from time to time. That's a three block radius in one of the worst neighborhoods in the Earth Sphere."

"Impressive," she said, tugging at a loose strand of her dark, red hair. "All right, so Maxwell is much more disciplined than I ever gave him credit for." Her sharp eyes bore directly into Wufei's face suddenly. "Tell me about this telepathy he's gained since waking up. Is it the real thing?"

"Yes," Wufei answered through clenched teeth. "He has managed to connect with not only our group of friends, but with his doctor, the nurses, and even our captor and his associates. It was because of Duo that we were able to get Grumman's name out of the assassin. It was also because of Duo's ability to read minds and Winner's strategic thinking that they were able to coordinate the takedown of Noventa with no words."

"Do you think that Maxwell would welcome an invitation to the Preventers forces?"

"That's something that you'll have to ask him yourself," Wufei said, standing up from his seat. "I'm sure that Po will alert you when he is awake."

"Chang, since you were off-duty, I will assign Richards and Carmichael to the investigation into the attack," Une said. "I would like a written statement from all five of you. I would _like_ one from the Vice-Minister as well, but I don't think I can force her to give me one."

"Ask her," he replied. "I'm certain she'd be delighted to assist in this case, since she was under threat as well." He headed to the door. "I will be with Maxwell."

"You're lucky, Yuy," Major Po told him as she finished stitching up his thigh. "Maxwell only managed to get muscle, not an artery, when he stabbed you. A few days of rest and you should be good as new."

"The others?" he asked curtly.

"Winner's fine. He was a little shaken up, but nothing that a cup of coffee and some speaking with Barton didn't fix right up. I'm sure he'll feel guilty about what he's done, but that's just who he is, I'm guessing. Barton, on the other hand, had a few abrasions and a slight laceration on his left arm. He was an easy patch-up. Chang was called to Une's office as soon as you five arrived, but I'll be taking a look at his arm, make no doubt of that." Heero suppressed a shudder at the delighted gleam in the woman's eyes. "Maxwell is still unconscious, but I've set his nose. He's going to need to new crutches for a while, but he should heal fine.

"Noventa, on the other hand, is alive, but it will take some time for him to be fit to stand trial."

"You believe that they will actually try him?"

"There's no choice," Po said, cleaning up the last of the blood and putting gauze over the repaired wound. "He kidnapped a Preventer, as well as four private citizens. He made threats against Vice-Minister Peacecraft. And, he has connections to Grumman. He's not likely to buy his way out of this."

"We'll see," Heero stated calmly, watching the woman shift items on her tray around. "Who are you going to see to next?"

"Really, I should go check on Noventa," the doctor answered frankly. "I've got him with the PA and my nurse. However, I'm _not_ going to see him until I've checked on both Maxwell and Chang. In the meantime, I'll send a nurse into wrap your foot."

He opened his mouth to protest, but she held up a hand before his face. "Don't try it. I've worked with Wufei for the last two years. The two of you deny being injured if you think you can get away with it." She pulled his legs up onto the examination table with a careless, rushed air. "And if you move, I'll call Ms. Peacecraft and let _her_ handle you."

Heero realized that resisting at this point would be a losing battle and wisely stayed silent. He would rather fight with Sally Po than have to deal with Relena when she got here. It was bound to be hard enough without adding to his troubles.

Quatre sat in the interrogation room, still in shock at what he'd done with Duo. While they had planned to take down Noventa together, he never meant to almost kill the man. _It was the strike across the face. _No one_ has ever hit me like that. No one,_ he thought, his breathing speeding up to near hysterical levels.

"It's okay, Quatre," Trowa said, brushing a hand down the blond's arm in a comforting gesture. "Just think about how we handled the debriefings after the Mariemaia incident."

"That's easy for you to say, Trowa," Quatre huffed, shooting a dark look at his new boyfriend. "You were undercover the whole time. Duo and I had to handle a lot during our time to free Relena."

"And you did great," the brunet man said, staring down hard at Quatre. "He hit you, and like I told you before we were brought here, if it hadn't been for Wufei and Heero, he wouldn't have lived long enough for you to react."

"As bad as this is going to sound, that does help." Quatre flashed a brief smile before he stared at the room's wall. "When do you think Duo's going to wake up?"

"Why don't you tell me?" Trowa teased. Quatre closed his eyes and reached out with his _other_ sense. He could feel Duo, calm and peaceful, but there was a tinge of anxiousness that laced everything, like a black spot on a white carpet.

"It feels like he's trying to make a decision, and he's really close, but I don't know what it is," Quatre whispered.

"Whatever it is, he'll make the right choice," Trowa replied, wrapping an arm around Quatre's waist and drawing him closer.

The door opened, bringing blue and one green eye to stare at the intruder. Suddenly, Quatre had flashbacks of the war and the one time he'd met face-to-face with Colonel Une. "Well, Mr. Winner and Mr. Barton, how lovely to meet you once again, and not in disguise," the woman said with a brilliant smile on her face before she grew serious. "Now, about today's events…"

TBC  
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	20. New Jobs for Old Pros

**Title:** The Matchmaker 20/20  
**Author: **Makoto Sagara  
**Series:** Gundam Wing  
**Archive:** the usual suspects (ffnet, affnet, Foreverfandom, my site, mediaminer, my update LJ, and the D&DML on yahoo); anywhere else, please ask first.  
**Category**: Supernatural, Angst, Romance, and Sap  
**Pairings:** 2x5x2, 3x4x3, and 1xRx1  
**Rating:** T+  
**Warnings:** Shonen ai, language, angst, sap, het, supernatural dealings  
**Disclaimers:** Yeah, like I own Gundam Wing. (Goes off to cry, but not before turning out pockets) I am poor as well. Flames will be used to amuse my muses. They are easily entertained, but highly obnoxious.  
**A/N:** Wow, after so long, it's over. I don't know whether to strut around like a proud peacock or sob like a baby. I feel like doing both, to be honest. First, thank you to everyone who's reviewed over the years. Your kind words and encouragement are the reason I even pushed myself to finish this. Secondly, thank you, Sahira, for such a cute bunny and allowing me to warp it how I wanted. Third thank you goes to Yuki. You know why. Fourth thank you goes to Raintenshi for pushing me to finish the damn story after so long. And last, but certainly _not_ least, thank you, Jokes. You've been totally awesome through this whole ordeal.

**Chapter Twenty – New Jobs for Old Pros**

One Year Later –

"Really, 'Ro," Duo said, sighing heavily as he readjusted his best friend's cummerbund for the third time in less than a minute. "Why 'Lena wants to marry you, I'll never know. You're a mess. Even Wufei can wear his tuxedo better than this."

"Because she got tired of having to dance around with his stupidity," Quatre offered, rolling a brush over Heero's tuxedo jacket to get all the lint that collected on the black fabric. "Besides, who else is going to protect her as fiercely? I mean, no one else we know is willing to rush out into space to protect her from scary children and creepy old men like Heero."

"That's rather callous of you, love," Trowa said as he wrapped his arms around the small blond's waist. "We all know that Heero and Relena are crazy for each other, even if Heero still needs some translation from time to time."

"Hey, don't look at me," Duo said jokingly, all eyes on him. "I can only tell you what he's thinking. Not why. He still has the market on that."

"Duo, _you_ still require translation from time to time," Wufei said from the room's door, smiling happily at his lover. "You are in no condition to offer that service for others."

"If you are all done talking about me while I'm standing right here," Heero deadpanned, "I believe that I have a wedding to attend."

"Way to sound excited there, 'Ro," Duo teased.

"It is not too late to ask Wufei or Trowa to be my best man, Duo," Heero said with the smallest of smiles. _You know that I didn't want this huge mess, idiot._

Duo swooned, slapping a hand to his chest theatrically. "You're a bastard, you know that, Heero."

The Japanese pilot shrugged. It was more than likely a valid point. His parents were unknown. He didn't even know if he had a name, aside from the ones that Odin and J had given him. So, Duo's comment was really nothing to him. All that matter was that somewhere in this church he and the other pilots were standing in was the woman he loved and it was his wedding day. "Any news on Relena's side, Chang?"

"Peacecraft is ordering around the women, and her brother appears ready to strangle her," Wufei offered with a shake of his head. "And the priest said it's time for us to take our places."

"Okay, boys, let's get this show on the road," Duo said, taking Wufei's arm and leading the way out of the room.

"You'd never know that he still suffers from the telepathy," Quatre said as he and the other two made to follow their friends.

Trowa smiled quietly. "It's been a year, and Wufei told me last week that Duo's learn to filter things out now that he's using it on a more constant basis."

"Relena's been mentioning stealing him away from Une," Heero muttered. "I'm not sure how successful she's going to be though. Une can be very intimidating."

"Your bride has her moments," Quatre joked as they made their way to the front of the large crowd. "Ready?"

"As I'll ever be," Heero answered, taking his spot next to Duo before the Wedding March started up. _I can't wait for this all be over and done with. A lot of to-do with very little to show for it,_ he thought, ignoring Duo's snickering at his side. _You'd better stop laughing, Duo, or Relena will have your head._ The snickering died quickly, and Heero couldn't help but smile before his full attention was grabbed by the sight of Relena on the arm of Milliardo as they strolled down the aisle towards them.

"It was a beautiful wedding," Duo said as he laid his head on Wufei's shoulder as they sprawled on the couch in their living room.

"It was very Western," Wufei said nonchalantly.

"So, it was nothing like yours?"

"Not a thing," the Chinese man said calmly as he ran his hand up and down Duo's thick, shiny braid. "For one, Heero and Relena chose to get married. I did not."

"You never talk about her." Duo turned up his heart-shaped face, and Wufei could feel his heart beat madly in his chest as he stared at his lover. "Why is that, 'Fei?"

"It's not a subject I like to dwell on, Duo."

He knew he was in trouble with those perfectly full lips turned into a mischievous smile. "No, I can see you like to dwell on my ass, you giant pervert."

"Yes, well, even with you now at a desk job, you've still managed to retain your…" Wufei licked his lips lasciviously, "…girlish figure."

"Oh, fuck you, Wufei," Duo snapped, pulling away to pout. "You're doing no better as a trainer of…what was it you said? The recruits are all 'obnoxious, wet-eared twats that couldn't find their own asses with the help of their two neighbors'." The American snorted. Wufei _had_ forgotten that he'd said that about the trainees, but it was very accurate for most of them.

"Would you rather that Trowa and I be called off-planet for a mission then?" Wufei asked, pulling Duo's hands from where he held them tightly against his thin chest. "Une's said she has something coming up for us, in that case."

"How long?" Duo asked, feeling like a Gundanium statue in Wufei's arms. "How dangerous?"

"I don't know, and adequately if she's asking Trowa and I to take the mission." When the American refused to soften even a little, Wufei knew it was a lost cause. "It's not like the last time, Duo."

"That's what you said then," Duo said, jumping up from the couch and pulling at the bowtie still at his throat. "And you came back with a broken arm and Trowa had a concussion! You weren't the one who had to calm Quatre down from trying to strangle Une _and_ your suspects. It took both Relena and me to keep him from trying to flay Une alive!"

"Duo, injuries happen," Wufei said calmly, knowing that any show of anger would just feed into his lover's fear. _Duo, listen to me. _He was rewarded by the most gut-wrenching expression of pain on the other man's normally smiling face. "I will try my hardest to not get injured, but you know that's not always how things happen."

"I know," Duo whispered, yanking the tie away from his throat finally with a violent tug. "That doesn't mean that I enjoy waiting here, like some dutiful wife. I'm stuck wondering if something's going to happen to you. Besides, I hate sleeping in that bed alone."

Wufei wanted to be angry at the sense of guilt that was welling up in his belly like sour bile, but the tears that shone in Duo's expressive eyes caught him. "Duo," he said, getting up from the couch and taking the other man's calloused hands, rubbing his fingers against the long, nimble digits that brought him so much pleasure, "I need you to understand me."

"I do understand, 'Fei," Duo whispered, slipping his arms around Wufei's waist and burying his head in his lover's chest. "I just hate feeling useless."

"You are hardly useless, Duo," Wufei said, holding onto the man in his arms tightly. "In three weeks, Noventa and Grumman go up for trial. You, Winner, Yuy and Peacecraft have been called as witnesses." He placed a kiss on the chestnut hair that tickled his chin. "Barton and I will try our best to return before then. I'm sure that I have been called up to testify as well, even though Une denies it adamantly."

"She can't afford to have her best agents for covert missions have their faces plastered all over the Earth Sphere's news cycles," Duo muttered.

"Be that as it may, I will not let you go through that alone." _Please believe me._

"I do. I know, 'Fei," was the muffled reply Duo gave.

"In the meantime, you have cases of your own, yes? You're Une's favourite person in the entire office and her star investigator."

Duo nodded reluctantly. "But I don't want to think about that right now."

"What do you want to think about then?"

"Don't want to think," the American said, tilting his head up to capture Wufei's lips in a heated kiss that made everything else disappear.

_I could do this forever, _Wufei thought happily as he carried the other man to their shared bedroom.

"I'm going to hold you to that, 'Fei," Duo replied before letting out a shout as Wufei tossed him onto the bed.

The End

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